Dark Dragon Fury
by Firion316
Summary: Duelists and transfer students are nothing new at Duel Academy, but when a new face appears, a student who will not duel, things that were better left forgotten and buried may resurface. What is his connection to the past? No Pairings. Rated T for darker elements.
1. Flute of Summoning Dragon

**DARK DRAGON FURY**

**Chapter 1: The Flute of Summoning Dragon**

It was going to be a hot day, that was for sure. The sun shone brightly, a light breeze forming small waves on the ocean's surface. The serene calm was broken only by the double line of white foam trailing behind the ship, knifing its way toward the island in the distance. Separated from the figures clustered on the bow, he leaned back against the rail, arms crossed, lost in thought…

################################

The auditorium of the school was noisy as usual. Lunch was concluding and the kids were making small talk as they finished their sandwiches. The daily competition was over, and the Queen of Obelisk Blue was seated on her laurels, enjoying the spoils of war. Alexis Rhodes had been the one to find the Golden Eggwich, making her even more popular today. Each winner was mobbed by eager, hungry fans, begging for a taste, and she was no exception. Today, Jaden was being real pain, begging for "just a little piece, pretty please?" Alexis chuckled as she politely declined, "Better luck next time Jaden." Jaden slumped back in his chair with a pout, and turned his attention toward his fried shrimp, which suddenly didn't seem so tasty.

Elsewhere, the room was a jumbled sea of red, yellow and blue. Aside from the aforementioned, the casual observer could make out some of the more familiar faces clustered in close proximity. Syrus Truesdale, sporting the yellow jersey of Ra, looked a little glum. That may have been caused by his proximity to his neighbor, the black-coated Chazz Princeton, who looked (as always) like someone stole his last can of hair spray. Alexis was flanked by her two friends/fangirls: Mindy and Jasmine, who continued to shoot dirty looks at the Yuki boy for getting too close to the Queen. And lastly, poring over an overdue assignment, were Tyranno Hasselberry and Bastion Misawa.

Suddenly, the chatter ceased as the doors swung open. In stepped Chancellor Sheppard, the headmaster of the Academy. He was flanked by Professors Satyr and Fontaine. Also in tow was the effeminate Dr. Crowler, looking quite flustered. It was unusual for the Chancellor to show himself outside of his office except on very important occasions, so the students stared as he made his way to the podium at the far end of the room.

Sheppard stepped up to the microphone and took a moment to survey the students with pride. He had seen many pupils pass through this Academy, many of whom had shown exceptional dueling skill. This school was the "launching pad" for many famous duelists "like Zane Truesdale" he thought to himself with a pang of regret. Zane had gone on to become quite infamous in the duelng world, often crushing and humiliating his opponents in defeat, even hospitalizing some, and was known in some circles as Hell Kaiser. Still, Seto Kaiba, the school's owner, had standards for all entering students, and these were followed.

Putting these thoughts aside, Sheppard smiled and addressed the student body:

"Kids! I have an important announcement to make. When you are finished, please make your way to the pier. We have the honor of receiving a new transfer student, this time from abroad. After lunch, please proceed to the wharf for the welcoming ceremony."

The silence that followed the Chancellor's words was complete. Then, without warning, an explosion of voices filled the room. Everyone turned to his/her neighbor and stared to hypothesize about the new duelist. The kids loved new students. It gave the veterans a chance to help the up-and-coming new talent; but for the younger duelists, they wanted an excuse to try out their decks on the newbie.

Jaden was suddenly a ball of energy again: "AWESOME! I can't wait to duel this guy. If he's been traveling, he's probably a great duelist! This'll be sweet."

Syrus, a little more subdued, mumbled: "I guess. But if he's been traveling, maybe he has news about Zane. I'm worried, we haven't heard from him since the Duel tournament several months ago..."

Chazz, sarcastic as always, leaned back in his chair, sneering: "Who cares? I know these transfer types. They're all nothing but a bunch of weaklings. I'll crush him the first chance I get. The Chazz always comes out on top!"

Alexis rolled her eyes, "You know Chazz, the last time you bragged like that, you were soundly thrashed by Jaden, so be careful you don't put your foot in that big mouth of yours" She glanced back to see him gaping at her, "And shut your mouth before something flies in it."

At the reminder of his latest defeat, his friends all started laughing. Chazz pursed his lips, white with humiliation. He swallowed the retort that he wanted to snap out, knowing that she was right. But he would never let himself be caught admitting it. Also, he still had a crush on Alexis, so he was in no good position to piss her off. Besides, ever since the whole Society of Light incident, their relationship had been strained. He opted to salvage the remains of his dignity and leave the room, pausing only to glare daggers at the "Slifer Slacker".

Mindy was beside herself. _A new boy! _She was hopelessly romantic, flirting shamelessly with the young men of Obelisk Blue. But due to her fickle personality, she could never find anyone to suit her needs. Maybe her luck was about to change. _And he was from abroad!_ _So what kind of exotic places had he been to? _Jasmine, too, was secretly hoping that this mystery person would prove a formidable duelist, but also have the sense to leave Alexis alone. If he tried anything funny with Alexis.._Not on my watch! _She muttered

Bastion had already tuned out everything else, and was busy formulating different scenarios which might force him to make some slight changes to his numerous decks. Each was carefully designed, each as strong as the next, masterpieces generated from studying the various duelists who composed the student body. This newcomer might prove to be an unexpected variable in the equation, forcing some slight alteration in the calculations. _What inopportune timing, _he thought, thinking back to his workstation, the walls of his bedroom, covered in scribbles and indecipherable calculations _and my wall has no more space._

_#############################_

(Within the Hour)

The students strained to see the approaching ship, as it slowly ploughed through the waves on its approach to the harbor. The ship was no unfamiliar sight to them, but seeing it was always a cause for excitement. As the boat drew closer, they eagerly scanned the decks for a sign of the transfer, but the distance was still too great. But finally, at long last, someone did spot him. A very excited someone…

"LOOK! OVER THERE!", squealed Mindy, jumping up and down. The student body followed her finger as she danced around. There was a crowd of people on board; he could be any one of them. Unless…

Their attention was caught by the young man who stood apart from the tourists and friends fighting to get near the railing. His mannerisms gave off an air of disinterest, or boredom to the explosion of activity around him. Also his mode of dress, a very dark tone, made a somber contrast to the bright colors of the other passengers and crew. He made no indication of moving as the ship docked and the gangway was run out. The passengers had almost all disembarked before he seemed to rouse himself, as if from a reverie, and approach the shore, carrying only a black, metal-bound briefcase.

He moved down the ramp at his leisure, giving the students time to take in his appearance: a very light-colored complexion, firm jaw, high cheekbones. His dark brown hair was parted on the side, his fringe hanging low on his brow, shadowing the upper portion of his face. He wore a pair of black slacks, black shirt and dark shoes. The entire outfit was covered by a black, flared overcoat, buttoned from the neck to the waist, trimmed in silver. His hands were covered by black gloves or gauntlets, extending to mid-forearm. Overall, a little unusual, a little..intimidating, especially the eyes: steel-blue, piercing, some strong emotion flickering just beneath the surface, held in check through long practice.

He made his way to the headmaster, whom he seemed to recognize, and shook his hand. He presented some documents to the older man. Chancellor Sheppard accepted them and glanced over their contents, a slightly puzzled crease on his brow. Meanwhile, the whispering from the student body was growing louder. _Who is he? Why doesn't he say anything? What's going on?_ The young man, oblivious, stood like a statue, moodily contemplating a pebble nearby. Finally, the Chancellor straightened up.

"Ah, where are my manners? Kids, please allow me to formally introduce our newest transfer student, Alastair Cunningham. As I said before, he has been abroad for some time, so he should have much to share with up in the near future. He is officially a student here as of today, as a member of the Slifer Red dormitory." (_**NO!**_ _thought Mindy, clearly disappointed.)_ "Please join in giving him a warm welcome!"

A round of applause and some cheering erupted from the assembled students. Alastair, looked up, his stoic expression never faltering, and acknowledged them with a slight bow and an almost imperceptible wave of his hand. Seeing as he wasn't apparently about to get an acceptance speech any time soon, Sheppard smoothed things over quickly, asking Dr. Crowler to show him the way to the dormitory. The doctor went rigid, his face clearly showing what he thought of this rude youngster, but he didn't really have a choice. He grabbed him by the arm and started to pull him in the right direction.

"Let's go, you young upstart! I swear, you Slifers are all the same, rude, obnoxious, nothing more than.." He stopped as Alastiar wrenched his arm free, eyes flashing with a dangerous look. His right hand curled slowly into a fist, then relaxed, his expression returning to neutral.

The students saw the scene, and pressed forward, sensing trouble. They were disappointed as Alastair gestured for the teacher to lead the way. Some murmuring arose, something about not making a good first impression, and adhering to uniform standards in the future.

Jaden and the others watched these events with mixed expressions. A new dorm mate was always fun, but not if was going to be nothing but trouble. Their reflections were cut short by Syrus, as he elbowed his way to the site of the small scuffle. He had seen something fall as Alastair yanked away from the professor. His small hands closed on three duel monster cards lying there. He gasped as he beheld:

**Cyber End Dragon**

**Cyberdark Dragon**

**Chimeratech Overdragon**

He blinked in disbelief. This had to be a coincidence. There was no way that this..he turned the card over. There, inked into the back of the card were the letters

**Z. Truesdale**

Syrus fell to his knees, tears in his eyes. His friends gathered around to see what the matter was. They too were shocked. These were, indisputably, the strongest monsters of Zane Truesdale, formerly the property of Hell Kaiser himself. But how did Alastair have them?

Alexis glared in the direction of the Slifer dorm, where the distant figure could be seen entering a spare room. "Just who is he?" she muttered to herself.

* * *

I am well aware that Yu Gi Oh! GX is an older anime. I am also aware of the 5D series. I do not follow the rules and monsters of this new series, and all my dueling experience/knowledge comes from the older series. So, please, bear with me in this endeavor.

Please review. I enjoy reading your commentary. They help me to better my writing.


	2. Power Bond

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu Gi Oh! GX. I only own my own character(s).

**Chapter 2: Power Bond**

An enigma is defined as a riddle, a puzzling or inexplicable occurence or situation, and lastly, a person of puzzling or contradictory character. In order to solve a mystery, one needs clues. But if clues were pages of a book, the newcomer was like reading a double-locked hardcover tome.

From the moment he'd arrived, Alastair had hardly said more than a few words to anyone. He went about his business in silence, a brooding furrow on his brow. The teachers learned quickly that if he was called upon in class, his answer, if he chose to answer at all, were all brusque, and to the point, the bare minimum. The students who plucked up the courage to approach the moody individual were treated with sullen silence. And regardless of school policy, he refused to wear the school colors, opting instead to go about in sombre black, complete with the silver-lined coat.

Since their attempts to befriend him got them nowhere, the less curious decided to ignore him. Those who couldn't resist temptation learned that he spent most of his free time in the library, perusing old records. He seemed especially interested in any mention of suspicious happenings which had occured during the last few semesters. He'd be there until late at night, making notes and comparing them with previous results.

After class one afternoon, Alastair was packing his books away, when a girl approached him. It was Mindy, and she looked equal parts nervous and embarrased. Unable to hide the blush from her face, she stood for a moment watching him, clutching a sheet of paper in her hands. The boy continued his activity, as though unaware of her presence. Unsure of how to get his attention, she cleared her throat softly. He glanced over his shoulder, annoyance clearly showing. She stepped forward.

"Um. S-sorry to bother you?" Stony silence was her only reply.

Now she was a bit disconcerted; she was definitely not unattractive, and as far as she knew, she hadn't done anything to anger him. She was also rather popular among the male population, and many would jump at the opportunity to chat her up, but here this guy was giving her the cold shoulder. This wasn't going as planned, but she had a job to do, so she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Th-the Headmaster asked me to tell you that he needs to see you..." Alastair's eyes narrowed as she handed him the paper, "...immediately. S-something about your r-request being authorized..?" Something approaching relief softened the stony features, and a flicker of interest appeared in his eyes as he scanned the page. He snapped his handbag closed and made to depart. She trailed behind him.

"Wait!"

He stopped, but the look he flashed over his shoulder spoke volumes about his waning patience. Gathering her courage, she took a step forward hopefully.

"Um. They said that you've been travelling abroad... D-did you see many interesting places?" To her surprise, Alastair gave a cold nod. Finding this a good start, she pressed her advantage, "Would..you like to h-have lunch sometime and talk about it?"

Alstair's expression darkened, and he raised his hand, pressing it against his heart. For a few beats, he stood there, eyes closed. Then he started to walk away again, leaving the poor girl to wonder what that was about.

######################################################

A few days later, the gang was clustered together on the beach at the south end of the island. Jaden and Syrus were dueling, and the latter was actually holding his own for a change. Every now and then, Syrus would reach into his pocket and grasp the case which held his brother's cards. A determined look would appear on his face, and then he would suddenly deploy a masterful attack with his vehicroids, much to Jaden's surprise and delight.

The rest of the gang was watching from the sidelines. They were happy for Syrus that he seemed to have boosted his confidence in himself.

Alexis eyed them thoughtfully: "Ever since he got ahold of those cards , Syrus seems like a totally different person. He could actually succeed his brother as a dueling legacy if this keeps up."

Bastion nodded: "I agree. But that puzzles me; where did the new boy get them? Did he defeat Zane? If so, he must be one formidable duelist. But have you ever seen him duel, even once, since he's arrived?"

Mindy looked upset for a moment then chipped in: "Forget that! When has he even smiled? I had to give him a message from the Headmaster the other day , and tried to be sooo nice. He barely even seemed to notice. He just nodded at me and then turned away." Her eyes started to brim up at the brutal rejection. Jasmine hugged her friend, trying to comfort her.

The rest of the group looked at her, annoyed at first, but stopped. She was right. Since his arrival, not a single person had seen anything but a serious side to Alastair. He seemed more cold than Zane; at least Zane had been seen to smile on occasion. Many of the students were already beginning to avoid this seemingly unpleasant stranger who strode through their midst with hardly a glance at them.

The group's thoughts were rudely interrupted by an explosion. Jerked back to reality, they saw Jaden's Elemental Hero **Shining Flare Wingman** disappearing in a flash of fire. Syrus watched as his monster, **Steam Gyroid**, blasted Jaden's Hero to bits. Jaden replied with a facedown to end his turn. Syrus' next move, however, threw off everyone. He looked at Jaden's field and frowned at the sight of the **Mudballman's** 3000 defense staring him down. He looked at the cards in his hand

"It was a good duel Jaden, but my victory is assured this next turn!"

Tyranno's jaw dropped. That remark was totally unlike Syrus' usual attitude. He was normally submissive, unsure of himself, and ready to quit if anything went wrong. Recently, though, he had acquired an almost Jaden-like tenacity for his playing style. Hassleberry decided to avoid making hasty judgments until he saw whether or not Syrus was really prepared to make good his threat.

Jaden turned over his face down card to reveal **Call of the Haunted**. Instantly, **Shining Flare Wingman** materialized back on the field. "And now," he said, "it's time to show this Hero's true power! I play the field spell card **Skyscraper**."

The scenery around the duelists changed to show holograms of tall building rising out of the ground. Syrus tensed himself for what would be a big hit to his remaining life points. And it came. Empowered by the spell card, Jaden's Elemental Hero sliced right through Syrus' vehicroid. Fortunately for Syrus, Jaden ended his turn, having no more monsters to summon that turn.

Syrus took a deep breath: "Okay, Jay! Now I'll finish this duel! And here's how it'll happen. First I'll play **Pot of Greed**. It lets me draw two cards. I now play my own **Call of the Haunted**. It lets me bring my **Steam Gyroid** back from the Graveyard. It can now destroy your **Flare Wingman**! But wait! That's not all. This is the final attack!"

"Hey, Sy!" Jaden sweatdropped, "Hate to break it to you, but did you fail to notice my Mudballman, which you still need to get through?"

Syrus retorted: "Well he won't be there any longer. I fuse together my **Steamroid**, **Drillroid**, and **Submarineroid** to form my ultimate fusion monster: **Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill**!"

Jaden did a quick mental calculation: "Um, Sy? You forgot something. Your monster only has 3000 Attack Points. My Mudballman has 3000 Defense. I'm safe!"

Syrus grinned: "I know that. But you're wrong, Jay! You see, I didn't use **Polymerization** to fuse them together. I played my brother's card: **Power Bond**! And because of that, my monster's Attack points double!"

Jaden, having only 1400 Life point remaining, gulped. He knew what was coming next.

Syrus cried triumphantly: "And the best part about my monster: the different between his attack points and your monster's defense points are dealt to your life points! Now, **Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill, **finish this!"

Jaden covered his face to shield himself from the impact as the hit punched through his monsters and blasted his life points down to zero. The holographic monsters faded as the smoke cleared. He shook his head, trying to get over the loss. Then, realizing something, he looked up, surprised.

"Sy! What's the deal? I'm impressed that you played **Power Bond**, but you used to hate having that card in your deck. But now you use it frequently. What happened?"

Syrus, flushed with victory, smiled: "You and Zane are the reason why, Jay! You two helped to show me the difference between using the card and knowing how to play it. Also, I've decided not to let my big brother overshadow me anymore! I'm going to be as great a duelist as him! But, in order to do that, I need to stop being afraid of my deck, and my brother's memory."

Syrus' friends crowded around him, congratulating him on yet another fine duel. Syrus couldn't have been more pleased. He was not used to being praised for his dueling, but he was enjoying it. Jaden was totally psyched. He now saw that dueling Syrus in the future would be much more fun than before. He turned to head back to the dorm to get cleaned up for dinner, but not before looking over his shoulder and promising that "the next time, I'm going to **really** get my game on!"

In the midst of the party, Bastion suddenly cut himself off in mid-sentence. Pointing, he remarked: "Look, over there!"

The group turned in the indicated direction. Bastion was pointing towards the large lake in the middle of the island. A black-coated figure was making its way towards the banks, carefully studying the surrounding area. Curious, the group made their way over towards him.

Alastair was methodically moving from place to place, consulting his notes, repeatedly scanning the surface of the water for something. Every now and again, he'd remove his right glove and touch the water with his palm, still looking out over the water. When nothing would happen, he'd dry his hand, replace the gauntlet, and resume his study. After repeated attempts, however, he started to manifest signs of impatience. Alexis raised an eyebrow.

"What's he doing? Is he..okay?"

Bastion watched for a few moments more. Turning to Mindy, he asked: "You said that the headmaster wanted to see him the other day? What was it about?" Mindy looked down shamefully.

"I'm sorry, I don't know. After I gave him the message, I wasn't feeling well, so I went back to my room." Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"You mean you went to cry because he turned you down?" Mindy turned crimson. Jasmine snickered, then ignoring Mindy's protests, continued: "I was curious, so I followed him. Listening at the door, I heard them mention something about Kaibacorps, Pegasus, the lake, and something about shadows, and I think I heard a mention or two of beasts." Bastion thought for a few moments, while continuing to observe the subject of their curiosity.

"Hmm. Well, he's obviously looking for something. But beasts and the lake? What...and how are Kaiba and Pagasus involved in all of this? Now, this raises the question, why is he here?" Hassleberry blinked in curiosity, "What do you mean by that?" Misawa rubbed his chin.

"If he's here at the behest of either Pegasus or Kaiba, then that makes him not a student, but a coorporate agent. He doesn't act like another cog in the wheel, he's made no effort to blend in. He's either very poorly trained, or he's here for something other than education. And he doesn't look like money, so I doubt he's sponsored by a company..." Bastion looked again, "What does he want?"

A solemn silence took the group as they processed the Ra's musings. Meanwhile, with a gesture of annoyance, Alastair made a final test of the water. When nothing happened, he picked up a rock and angrily threw it into the lake with a loud splash. Turning on his heel, he stuffed his PDA and book into an inner pocket an departed in the direction if the dorms.

(A few nights later)

Alexis was sitting at her desk, finishing up a complicated essay on the history of Duel Monster, how it was lost and then rediscovered. Normally, any assignment would be a breeze for her, but tonight, she just couldn't focus. Also, the room felt stuffy, making it hard to concentrate. Going to the window, she opened it up. For a few minutes, she leaned against the sill, enjoying the feel of the sea breeze on her face. She also found herself thinking about the incident from several days ago, after the duel between Jaden and Syrus. What was the deal with Alastair, anyway? Why was he acting so emotionally hostile? Was it something in his past, maybe? "I should know what that can be like. I went for years not knowing if my brother was even alive, let alone where he was. Tragedy like that can be like a living death"

Faced with these thoughts, Alexis shook her head. Too much to think about and not enough information to form any conclusions. Besides, she had this paper to finish. She found herself reluctant to return to the task at hand. She sighed: she needed to become more disciplined. There would be time enough to ask questions later.

As she started to turn away from the window, she was hit by a feeling of déjà vu. She couldn't place it at first, but something had caught her eye. After a few moments careful searching, scanning the landscape, she found nothing. Finally, on a hunch, she glanced at the harbor. There! The tall thin figure standing by the lighthouse, arms crossed, staring out at the oceans.

Alexis felt her breath catch in her throat. That was creepy! It was bad enough that Alastair dressed like Zane, and acted like Zane, but now he was mimicking Zane's favorite pastimes. As she watched the silent figure with a stab of annoyance, she suddenly felt a bit of regret. She used to meet Zane at the lighthouse, and there, they would talk. They confided in each other, and they trusted each other. "Not anymore," she thought ruefully, "If I saw Zane today, I don't know what I'd say."

Still puzzling over the whole matter, Alexis decided to try and get to the bottom of it. The paper could wait until tomorrow anyway. She couldn't concentrate tonight. Besides, she argued, a walk might do her some good. Slipping on a coat, she glanced at the clock. Ten-thirty. She had only a little time before lights out, but she resolved to make the most of it. Within a few minutes, she was outside, making her way along the familiar path to the harbor. It seemed longer than she remembered. But finally, at long last, she arrived at her destination.

Alastair was standing with his back to her, facing the ocean. The only thing that moved was his coat, rustled by the wind. He seemed lost in thought. Alexis approached him, but found herself at a loss for words. She paused about twenty feet behind him, unsure of how to begin. Her difficulties were soon put to rest.

"Shouldn't you be in bed, Miss Rhodes?" inquired Alastair, still not turning around. Alexis gasped. How did he..? The black figure turned at last, and the two of them stood face to face.

"I must confess that I have been expecting you. I like to walk by the water after dark; it's so… …peaceful." Alastair paused, and then turned back to the water. "Zane told me that you and he used to come down here quite often. He asked me to act in his place, at least once, for his sake. He told me that you would eventually come."

Alexis stared. _Zane_told him that? She squared her shoulders and braced herself for an answer to her question: "What else did he tell you?"

Alastair glanced over his shoulder: "He also said that two people with painful histories should talk on occasion. It helps to deal with the problems. He mentioned your brother, Atticus. I heard about how he became a … a Shadow duelist."

Alexis moved closer: "It sounds like you know a little about Shadow duelists yourself." She observed the other's eyes narrow suspiciously. She smiled slightly, she had hit a nerve.

Alastair's reply was grim: "More than I care to!"

A short pause ensued while both parties organized their thoughts. Finally, Alexis blurted out the questions that had been nagging her: "So, what's your game? What are you after? How did you get Zane's cards?"

The other paused, causing Alexis to wonder if she had gone too far. She could see a muscle twitch in his jaw line when she mentioned the former Obelisk, so she instantly regretted the question. But she didn't apologize; didn't take it back. She came here for answers and she was going to get them! Alastair took a deep breath.

"I met Zane in the pro dueling circuit some time ago. He and I happened to be staying at the same hotel, so we got to talking on numerous occasions. I was impressed by his dueling style: unique, aggressive and solid. He told me a little bit about the Academy, so I decided to come see it for myself. He also told me about his brother, and about his fear of dueling. He told me that it would take a great deal of effort to overcome those obstacles. I resolved to help Syrus."

Alastair straightened up: "Well, I bid you goodnight!" He turned and began strolling off.

Alexis, startled, jumped up: "Hey, wait a minute! You didn't answer my questions."

Alastair paused. Giving her a angry look over his shoulder, his voice grew colder,"Hell Kaiser lost his way, and someone had to try and stop him. Those cards are spoils of war, nothing more."

Alexis narrowed her eyes: "What?" Her body trembled at the implications of what she was hearing. "You...you actually beat Zane? Defeated Hell Kaiser?"

The glare deepened, "You heard me. Did I stutter?"

And with that, he disappeared into the night, leaving an open-mouthed and staring Alexis behind him.

Please review. Chapter 3 up soon!


	3. Swing of Memories

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu Gi Oh! GX. I only own my own characters.

(_My apologies to my viewers for the delay between chapters. I've just returned from vacation, and a combination and jet lag and _

**Chapter 3: Swing of Memories**

"Are you saying that he got them using the Ante rule!"

Bastion sat up in his chair. Alexis had just finished relating what she had been told the previous evening. Syrus was biting his nails, because hearing about Zane made him tense. Jaden was staring wide-eyed. Chazz was absent, and would regret that later.

"The Ante rule is illegal in most dueling organizations. It's not allowed in any professional duels, so what could possibly have happened?"

Alexis buried her face in her hands. She felt tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed. What had meant to be a simple explanation of last night's revelation had turned into an hour-long argument about rules of dueling. She could feel the beginnings of a migraine coming on. Finally, she snapped:

"I DON'T KNOW! THAT'S WHAT I WAS TOLD. NOW STOP PESTERING ME, PLEASE!"

The room was quiet for a few moments. Everyone was processing the new information. Even Mindy and Jasmine, who had followed Alexis out of boredom, were stunned. The news shocked them. _**Zane was beaten! **_They had seen matches on television where Zane had brutally humiliated even professional duelists with his new underworld deck, and they had never seen him lose. It was as though the sky had fallen.

Bastion settled back in his chair, deep in thought.

(Meanwhile)

The black-coated figure left the shadow of the woods, head bowed, also deep in thought. Alastair's blue-grey eyes moved over the landscape before him. He smiled in a sour fashion. So the secret was out now about him and Zane, but he didn't really care. The critical thing was to conceal the other aspects of his past, those darker portions which he had never disclosed to anyone without grave reason. Raising his gloved right fist, he regarded it ruefully. If only he had been more careful that day, none of this would have happened...

"_Perhaps I should just abandon dueling altogether. Given everything that's happened, can I even duel normal people safely. Even with Pegasus' help..._", he glared at the appendage, turning it back and forth. A bitter look crossed his pale features, and he choked back a lump in his throat. "_Mom...Dad...it's been five years already. And I still can't let go. But perhaps, after this is all over, I can find peace.._"

A shudder ran through his frame, and he glanced down the hill, to the azure body of water which commanded the southern quarter of the island. Nearby, the stately shapes of the Obelisk dorms loomed. An aura of controlled anger began to surround him, and he brought his clenched hand to his chest, grasping something tightly from beneath the fabric. His mind made up, he retreated back into the woods.

"_Moping won't do any good. If you have energy to cry, you can use it to train"_

A few moments later, a sinister-looking flash emanted from the trees, attracting the attention of a gaggle of students nearby. Curious, they cautiously approached to investigate. But the only thing their efforts unearthed was a small clearing with a strange spiral scorch mark in the center...

_A bit short, I know. And for that, I apologize. _

_Anyway, please review. The duels will begin shortly, because, after all, what's a Yu Gi Oh! story without duels?_


	4. Royal Decree

Author's Notes:

I'm back from another brief sabbatical, ladies and gentlemen. A full time job, in addition to a 24/7 supervisory position are not kind to an author.

Oh, and before I forget:

I don't own Yu Gi Oh! GX. That right belongs to Nihon Ad Systems, Inc. and Hatsuki Tsuji, both of whom give the series better justice than I ever could.

**Chapter 4: Royal Decree**

"And the information is accurate?….Give me the coordinates again…No, I looked there; I've confirmed that no traces remain.." Alastair, who was currently making his way up the slopes of the volcanic vent on the island's north side, paused as he listened to his contact through the receiver. His hand came up to his eyes, trying to massage away the annoyance and fatigue. The gesture was token at best, bringing minimal relief.

"…No…believe me, I am well aware that your superior is doing me a tremendous favor; hell, I'd be dead by now if it wasn't for him…" he spared a glance at his gloved right hand, the fingers curled inward beneath the material. "The seal?...It's holding up just fine…I've not had to put any strain on it since last year….*sigh* I know, I'm being careful…Give my thanks to him for explaining everything to the Chancellor in his letter…Alright, I'm heading up to analyze the first site again…Out." Alastair flipped the phone closed and dropped it into his pocket. There were no classes today, so he had plenty of time at his disposal.

He continued his hike, listing off the locations in his head which he had investigated thus far: the lake, the forest where it was reported that the last two key holders fell, the Spirit Gate, even the power generator…but his search for clues had been fruitless up till now. After investigating the vent, his next and final scraps of intel pointed to the abandoned dorm. Alastair shook his head; so many of the disappearances were linked to that place, but he wanted to leave it for last, since it would probably be a very tedious process.

"Ugh..!" His nose wrinkled in disgust from the strong sulfurous fumes swirling around him, and he noticed the heat radiating from the rock formations. Taking care where he placed his feet, Alastair carefully made his way into the smoldering chasm. Selecting a tolerably safe vantage point, he began his search. For once, his efforts were not in vain..

"…I see…" He concentrated harder on the trace which lingered, "..so the Yuki boy is the key that ties all this together. He was there when they all fell…" A slight twitch of his lips softened his grim expression. "I'll have to question him when I get back…and perhaps Miss Rhodes as well. That feeling I get from her…nostalgic..?" His brow furrowed in frustration as he brushed off the dirt. _First things first_, he thought, _back to the room, shower..and try to get some decent rest._

##################################

Back at the Obelisk female dorm, a certain aforementioned young lady was pacing the length of her room, scowling in irritation. The Queen of Obelisk Blue was still trying to wrap her head around the news of Zane's defeat. What had happened to Zane out in the pro leagues, to make him like he was now? How did this new join beat him? Was he really that good as a duelist? For that matter, why was he never around during dueling practical application. For that matter, he seemed to avoid touching Duel Monster cards altogether, if possible; but if he did, he handled them gingerly, almost as if he was….afraid…?

"Arg!" Alexis slammed her hand down on her dresser, causing her two shadows to jump. Mindy and Jasmine had been gossiping between themselves to kill time, since Alexis herself had made it clear that she wanted time to think. And now she had unleashed this sudden outburst; obviously whatever she was preoccupied with was getting under skin.

"What's wrong, Alexis?" Jasmine made a move to defuse the tension; it wasn't often that the Queen completely lost her cool. Alexis spared her two friends a glance, and took a calming breath.

"It's just….ever since that new boy got here, something's been bothering me. He knows something about Zane that we don't, and it's killing Syrus not to know. And he said something about Atticus…something that makes me concerned." She paused, trying to choose her next words carefully. "...I think he's dangerous"

Mindy's eyes went wide. "Dangerous!? What do you mean?"

Alexis brought her hand up to her chest. "I'm not sure. It's not really something I can put into words. But he feels….off. I could just be feeling paranoid, but I'm going to go with my feelings on this one. He's trouble."

Jasmine thought for a moment. "So, he won't duel, keeps his distance from all association with the game, and comes to Duel Academy as a 'student'? What's up with that? Every break he gets, he's nosing around the various sites on the island, but he's definitely not enjoying the scenery. He's got to be looking for something…or someone.."

Alexis shrugged. "I don't know. Trying to talk to him is like conversing with a statue most of the time. And these one sided conversation attempts with him are getting very awkward." She shuddered at the memory of the last time. "The way he stares at you, it's creepy; it's like his eyes are boring into you."

Mindy, who had been smoothing her skirt across her lap, looked up. "Have you seen his eyes? I mean, really seen them..?"

Jasmine scoffed. "Oh please! We're trying to have a serious conversation here. Don't go off about his 'dreamy eyes' now."

Mindy looked hurt. "I wasn't going to say that at all! And I was being serious. Did you take a good look at them?"

Alexis snorted. "No. During our last conversation, he wouldn't even turn in my direction. And I had no reason to look closely."

Jasmine, feeling playful, made another dig. "Was this observation made before or after he turned you down?"

Mindy's blushing face became solemn. "You should look next time. They're….dead. There's nothing in them, it's like looking into an empty void. Almost like…" She searched her memory for an good example. "Your's, Alexis….that one time."

Alexis whirled. "When?"

The black-haired girl looked her square in the face. "That last duel with Jaden, when you fought as a member of that horrible Society of Light." Alexis turned pale, but Mindy continued. "I saw your expression during that fight. Your eyes were empty, soulless, like you weren't even there, like something else had taken over your body. Whoever was up there in that body…it wasn't the real you."

Alexis Rhodes seemed to collapse in upon herself for a few moments, as the memories from last semester resurfaced. She recalled her decision to challenge Chazz Princeton, the fear at realizing that she was overmatched, the despair of defeat, then….oblivion. Everything after that was like images from a vague dream, or nightmare, more likely. The feeling like she wasn't even in control of her own body, and she hadn't cared. All that had seemed important during that time was her devotion to the Light, and converting as many as possibly to its cause.

Alexis looked down at her hands, clad in her signature blue, fingerless gloves. She felt contaminated, guilty all those she had converted to that evil cult. She had taken over more duties, and become a staunch zealot after Chazz regained his senses during his duel with Jaden. She had taken over his position as chief recruiter and representative of the Society of Light under Sartorius. Then that final memory before the end: her Master had summoned her, and commanded her to duel Jaden, to bring him under her control. She'd hesitated, but he broke her to his will, and that had been the end.

Her next waking thought had been waking up in Jaden's arms in the duel arena. She was still wearing the Obelisk white uniform of the Society, and her deck was different. It contained so many cards whose descriptions horrified her: **White Night Fort**….**White Night Queen**…**Cold Sleeper**…**White Night Dragon**…**White Veil**. At the mention of that last card, she shuddered in fear, remembering how that very card had been the cause of her downfall to the Princeton boy. If Jaden had lost….

Alexis had kept those cards from that day, but they were locked away in a hidden compartment at the bottom of her dresser. She didn't want to ever see those cards again, fearing that they may have been still contaminated by the Light, but also, her own conscience wouldn't let go. These cards represented something that was far too harsh and frigid, far too heartless for her personality; but she had wielded them at one point, and that would forever be part of her past. She presented a cheerful face to the world, that strong, determined young woman whom they were familiar with, but deep down, she felt sullied and broken.

Maybe, there in the new boy was a kindred soul, someone who would understand what she had done, and help her to forgive herself…

She looked up, eyes filled with determination. She knew what she was going to do. "Let's go, girls! We're going to get some answers."

The other two stared for a second. They had just watched Alexis go from pissed, to thoughtful, to somber. Now she had suddenly rebounded back to "normal"; it was a little unsettling but they decided not to question it. Jasmine had just one question. "And where are we going to look?"

Alexis grabbed paused in the doorway. "We're going to start at the Slifer dorm. After that, we'll play it by ear." Mindy nodded in agreement.

As she stepped out into the sunlight, Alexis paused to allow her eyes a minute to adjust to the change of lighting. Shielding her face with her hand, she took a look at her surroundings. She scanned a few passing students, looking for the black coat of the newcomer..

Her mouth formed a thin line. _This time, I'm going to get some answers. _She thought._ This time, for sure_..

########################################

_Sritch….scritch….._

The only sound which came from the bathroom was that of a razor being dragged across skin. Alastair was standing in front of the sink, his face still dripping wet, ensuring that his jaw and neck were completely clean of stubble. As he made another stroke, he glanced up at his eyes. They were swollen and bloodshot, with dark bags beneath them. Veins stood out clearly along the skin surrounding the eyelids. He looked over his reflection, taking it all in.

"Cunningham, you look like garbage. But that's to be expected.." He commented ruefully. His gaze traveled down past his neck to his chest. There too, the skin seemed as thin as paper, white as ash. Part of the reason he kept himself covered with so much clothing: it hid his deteriorating condition.

He ran his fingers through his still damp hair, smoothing it back into its normal position. "Let's hope this final clue actually gets us somewhere. Not that it'll really matter soon. It'll all be over, for better or for worse.." He splashed water on his face, then dried it with a towel.

Yawning, Alastair made his way to his bunk and slipped on a pair of loose sweatpants. He'd barely slept for more than three hours per night since he'd gotten here, but he decided to try and rest regardless. Sleep might not come easily, but it would hopefully relieve the pounding in his head.

##############################################

He had barely drifted off when there was a knock on his door. Alastair rolled his eyes. _So much for that plan_. He donned a long-sleeve shirt and his jacket, doing his utmost to keep his irritation in check. When he felt that he looked presentable, he opened the door.

The female trio was standing outside. Resisting the urge to tell them to shove off, he opted instead for "Can I help you?"

Mindy and Jasmine both looked at their leader. Alexis folded her arms over her chest, drawing herself up to her full height. "We'd like to talk to you, if you don't mind."

The boy sighed. "Should have known this was coming….give me a moment to get my shoes on."

Mindy spoke up. "It'd be faster if we spoke inside, if you don't want to leave…" _Whoops!_ Realizing just how forward her comment must've sounded, she clapped her hands over her mouth.

Alastair narrowed his eyes, stepping further inside. "If you insist…" He held the door open as the three entered.

The room was a small one bedroom, one bathroom combination, a rarity in the Slifer dorm. Most other students had to share a room with at least one other person, but Alastair was an exception. The room's furnishings were..spartan. A small wooden desk and folding chair, a bed, and a chest of drawers were the only furniture. A laptop sat atop the desk, which was otherwise devoid of any other objects, with the exception of a small wooden box. With the exception of the required textbooks lined neatly against the wall, the room contained no other personal effects. The closet was closed, but it probably contained clothes. The sheets of the bed were tangled, showing that they had interrupted his rest.

Alastair gave his guests a moment to orient themselves, and then spoke up. "You mentioned you wanted to talk?" He closed the bathroom door, but left the outside door open for propriety's sake. He straightened the bedclothes, gesturing for the girls to find themselves seats. Alexis took the chair; her two friends seated themselves on the bed. He himself remained standing, leaning against the wall, right hand thrust deep in his pocket.

For several moments both parties remained in silence, waiting for the other to initiate the conversation. Mindy and Jasmine were in an unspoken agreement to leave the talking to their leader, but Alexis seemed at a loss as to where to start. Their reluctant host was moodily contemplating the carpet.

The Queen decided to start from the beginning. "Will you tell us again how you met Zane?"

Alastair brought his hand up to massage the bridge of his nose. "I've said more than enough about that the other day. I have no reason to provide any more details."

As much as that irritated the girls, he was right. He was under no obligation to tell them anything. So a different approach was needed.

Alexis tried again. "Didn't you say you knew my brother?"

The boy closed his eyes. "I knew _of_ him."

Now it was time for her eyes to narrow in suspicion. "What's that supposed to mean? How did you know about what happened to him?"

Alasiair rolled his eyes. "I have my source. It's...quite reliable."

Alexis was furious. To think that this creep knew this dark secret about her family...she saw red. She jumped up from the chair and grabbed him roughly by the front of his shirt, pulling him down to her level, much to the shock of her two friends, who remained frozen in place. With the exception of a slight twitch in his eye, Cunningham remained impassive.

"Now you listen to me, punk. I don't know where you got your information from or who you're working for, but stay the hell out of my family's business! Got that?"

Alastair chuckled at her livid countenance. "My my. You _do _have a temper. You may want to keep that in check, or you could find yourself in situations which are far too much for you. For example..."

Without warning, the boy swooped down low and leg swept her. With a loud shriek, she fell over backwards, clawing at the air to keep her balance. She grabbed at his collar just as he swept his arm around her, holding her like he was executing a dip maneuver from a waltz. He leaned in close to her face, while she stared, wide-eyed from surprise and fear. His eyes were clearly visible now: cold and dark.

"Now that I've gotten your attention..." He smirked at her predicament. "You entered _my_ room, asked invasive questions, and then you have the nerve to physically assault me...I don't know why I should stand for this? I haven't once laid a hand on you." He leaned even closer, so their noses were almost touching. "I want you to leave now. The door is right over there. Show yourselv..."

Suddenly, without warning, his seductive look became one of intense pain. Alastiar dropped Alexis to the floor, collapsing on top of her. Several heaving gasps later, he coughed violently.

Dark crimson drops fell from his mouth, staining the carpet next to her head...

* * *

I had to do some research to make this chapter meet my own standards. I wasn't satisfied leaving the last chapter...unfinished. It was certainly far too short for my tastes, and felt rushed. I may go back and rework it, if necessary. But in the meantime, here's something that I hope leaves you all wanting more.

Please rate and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Please note, that even if I can't reply to your suggestions and comments, I do take them into consideration. A story work in progress can sometimes evolve on its own.


	5. Injection Fairy Lily

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu Gi Oh! GX. I only own my own characters.

**Chapter 5: Injection Fairy Lily**

_ She stood behind him, a cruel smile contorting her face. All about her, the Shadows swirled. Alastair turned slowly, his face a rigid mask of fury._

_ "YOU..!"_

_ He pointed at her._

_ "You…you devil! You witch!"_

_ "Darling, you are mistaken. I am neither of these things."_

_ "You did all this! It's all your doing!"_

_ She shrugged. "You needed to be free of all useless attachments before you join us. We cannot allow any to enter our august group who have… mixed priorities. The goals of the Organization come first and foremost. You must forget about them, Alastair. Forget them all. They never existed. They won't come back."_

_ Alastair took a moment to calm down. He gave her a sidelong look._

_ "Can you bring them back?"_

_ "Why should you care? Will you join us or no?"_

_ Alastair's hands dropped to his sides. He brought his feet into an attack stance._

_ "I'll ask you again...Is it within your power to bring them back?!"_

_ The woman made a show of yawning. "Perhaps. But that is irrele…"_

_ "Then bring them back, damn it! You bring them back right… AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"_

* * *

Cerulean eyes snapped open and he lunged forward in bed, breathing heavily. Reflexively, he clutched at his right arm, as if it seared like fire. Alastair took a few deep breaths to calm himself as he glanced down at the appendage, wrapped from shoulder to palm in bandages. He drew his arms out from under the blanket. The right hand was still balled into a white-knuckled fist, and as he opened it gingerly, he could see four half-moon indentations in the palm, where the nails had torn through the gauze.

"Oh good, you're awake!" A sharp clack of heels announced the presence of the school nurse, Fonda Fontaine. She approached his bedside, making some notes on a chart. "You've been thrashing around ever since they brought you here. Do you get these..." She paused to search for the proper word, "..attacks.. often?"

For a moment, the boy looked puzzled. _Here?_ _Where in the world am...? _He felt a bit disoriented as he glanced around, taking in the various details of the inside of the nurse's office. His brow furrowed. "The last thing I remember...is being in my room. How did I get here?"

Fonda scribbled something down. "Ms. Rhodes called me and claimed that you'd had an attack of some sort. They said you started coughing up blood, so I had you brought to me straight away." She shifted to the foot of the bed, and consulted the clipboard handing there. "It says here in your medical profile that you have a special medical condition, but no further details. It also gives no mention of the nature of the injury to your arm, just a note that it's not to be touched." She glanced over the appendage, which Alastair was still rubbing gingerly. "I've respected your privacy on this matter, but as the nurse, it is my responsibility to ensure the health of the students in my charge. We only have this small facility at the school, so our care options are limited, but if there's anything that I can do..." She trailed off hopefully.

Alastair sighed wearily. "What did you do before I woke up?"

"Just the usual: temperature, blood pressure, O2 levels. We have to check your vitals, and given your symptoms, I had to check for a fever." Her eyebrows rose. "What I can't understand: your vitals are all normal. Do you know what could have happened to trigger this episode?"

The boy averted his eyes. "Just something I have to deal with. It caught me by surprise, is all. That, and they've never been this severe, Ma'am."

The nurse's eyes widened. "This severe? You were in a convulsive fit for the better part of an hour! And your saying these attacks have happened in the past? Are you alright?" She pulled up a chair to sit level with him. "Please, let me help you. What can I do to make you more comfortable?"

Alastair hesitated, then turned away. "..It's nothing. I'll be fine."

Nurse Fontaine recognized immediately what he was doing. He was throwing up walls, shielding himself in layers of denial. He wasn't going to open up to her. As a medical provider, she wanted to protest, but he had the right to remain silent as her patient. She could not force the issue, no matter how much she wanted to... She almost missed his question.

"How much longer must I remain here?"

"Oh! I'm sorry." She cleared her throat to cover the slip in professionalism. "Seeing as you say there is nothing wrong, you are clear for release at any time. Just remember to come see me again if you are feeling unwell."

Alastair gave a forced smile of acknowledgement, locating his shoes by the foot if his bed. As he prepared to leave, his hand came up to his heart. He frowned, and pulled on his collar to look down the front of his shirt. He glanced over at the woman, who was scrubbing her hands with disinfectant.

"Excuse me, Ma'am. Were any of my personal effects removed while I was indisposed?"

Fonda thought for a moment, "No, not to my knowledge. All items which you were carrying were placed on or beside the table. Why? Is something missing?"

He replaced his wallet and PDA in the pockets of his pants. Again with the fake smile. "No, just making sure I had everything is all." He turned for the door. "Just out of curiosity..you said Ms. Rhodes contacted you about my condition?"

The nurse nodded. "Yes. She called me immediately. She and her friends were waiting where you collapsed when I got there with a vehicle to transport you up here. She looked a bit shaken by the experience. She claimed she was fine though, said she only needed to get some rest."

"I...see. That's good. I'm glad she's alright." Alastair bowed as he exited. "Thank you."

*ACHOO!*

Alexis covered her mouth from the sudden sneeze. _That's weird._ Shaking it off, she went back to studying her acquisition, nestled in the palm of her hand. It was a small silver ring, set with a light blue stone. Judging from it's size, it appeared to belong to a young woman. She pondered this fact and how she had acquired it.

****flashback****

_Without warning, the boy swooped down low and leg swept her. With a loud shriek, she fell over backwards, clawing at the air to keep her balance. She grabbed at his collar just as he swept his arm around her, holding her like he was executing a dip out of a waltz. He leaned in close to her face, while she stared, wide-eyed from surprise and fear.._

She shuddered, remembering how terrified she'd been when he suddenly collapsed on top of her. Aside from knocking the wind out of her (although he weighed considerably less than she expected), anyone would have been shocked if someone began spewing blood from their mouth. Thankfully, her friends had been there to help pull her out from under his body, and she had the presence of mind to call Professor Fontaine...

"So all this trouble and still we know nothing.." She mused sadly to herself. After the nurse had left with him, Alexis had finally noticed something cutting into her hand, something she was gripping tightly in her hand. Glancing down, she was surprised to find this piece of jewelry, hung from a thin chain. The chain had snapped, leaving two thin filaments draped across her hand.

"It looks like a girl's ring to me." Mindy commented. She experimentally slipped it on, but it was slightly too small, even for her delicate hands. "There's no way he could ever wear something like this, so...who's is it?"

Jasmine looked thoughtful, "Perhaps we've pegged him wrong after all. Maybe he's not such a bad guy after all. You know, just the _tsundere_ type. But deep down, he's just a total softie. I wonder if he was planning to give it to someone at the Academ.."

_ *Pipipipipipipipi*_

The three girls jumped at the sudden interruption as Alexis' PDA lit up. The caller ID, linked directly to the school database, informed her that the caller was none other than the topic of their conversation. Tenatively, she answered..

"Hello..?"

For a moment, there was silence on the other end. Then a familiar voice replied coldly, "_You know, I really don't know how to view you right now. You invasively question me, threaten me, and even assault my person. But then you call for help when I'm in trouble._" Another pause. "_And then I learn that you are not above taking what doesn't belong to you. You, Ms Rhodes, are not an easy read._"

Her eyes narrowed at the blatant accusation. "Excuse me? Who do you think you are, talking to me like that? Are you calling me a thief!?"

"I'm just calling the evidence as I see it. Everything fits that theory. I returned to my room, minus one possession, only to find a shard of what was taken lying on the floor" Alastair turned his attention back to the piece of the chain clasped between his fingers. His voice dropped in volume, becoming a dangerous hiss. "You and I are going to have a serious chat, tonight."

"_Is that supposed to scare me? I've been wanting answers from you too! Name the time and place_"

He glanced at this watch. "You will find me at the same place where your dear Atticus disappeared. Be there by midnight."

"_How dare you! You brought him into this again!?_" He smirked humorlessly at her furious breathing. "_That's it! You and I are going to settle this with a duel! When I win, you __**will**__ tell me everything I want to know!_"

There was a pregnant pause, as all parties seemed unwilling to break the silence. Alexis was glaring at the handset, waiting for a reply which didn't seem to be forthcoming. Her two friends were like statues, afraid to speak or move, for fear that their leader's anger would be turned on them. A few uncomfortable moments later, a sound was heard from the receiver. It sounded like a soft chuckle.

"_As you wish, __**your Majesty**__._" The title oozed with sarcasm, "_Pray you don't disappoint me_."

Her pride and temper flared at both the insult and the seeming veiled threat. "Are you threatening me? Hoping I'll back out?"

"_Hmhm. On the contrary: I don't make threats, Ms. Rhodes. I make promises, and I have never broken one yet._"

Pushing aside her unease at this last statement, she decided to play it safe. "Then do you promise to uphold the terms if I win this duel?"

"_You have my word._"

Alastair closed his eyes as he disconnected the call. Emotions long since buried began to surface. Emotions which he could not afford right now. Shaking his head to clear it, he donned his signature black coat, his gaze often returning to the chain lying on his desk. The sight seemed to comfort him, or at least gave him the impetus to move his feet. Reaching far underneath the bed, he retrieved the metal case which he had arrived with.

He had neither touched nor looked at it since unpacking. Most of its contents had been clothes, or books. But one item remained within. And that item, he seemed reluctant to touch. As he stared at it, he glanced down, noticing his hands shaking.

_You can do this. It's for the last time, after all._

He released a calming breath and opened the case, revealing a steel briefcase deep inside. He lifted it free and placed it on the floor in front of him, then began to spin the tumblers to their proper respective positions. The locks clicked open, making him tense up.

He felt like a suicide about to take the plunge...

Scratch that...

No...rather, he felt like an addict, about to imbibe in the fix which he had been deprived of for too long...

_At last!_ He lifted the lid and ran his eyes over the contents. Inside, nestled into a customized compartment, lay a folded Duel Disk, polished to a mirror sheen. The interior of the case was lined with smaller depressions, each of which were filled with Duel Monster cards, carefully organized by type. Along the interior of the lid, multiple pockets contained various completed decks, no two themes being similar. He weighed the pros and cons of each, then selected his Deck of choice. Slipping it into his coat pocket, he lifted the Disk and attached it to his left arm. It still fit perfectly.

_"!"_

Something in the bottom of the case caught his eye as he checked his gear. There was one last item deep inside, nestled underneath where the Disk had been resting, in its "place of honor." His gloved right hand reached for it eagerly, but he caught himself in time. His next reaction was to flinch away, like it was a deadly viper poised to strike. Acting quickly, the boy slammed the lid closed, locking it securely. His tense jaw line trembled as he replaced everything else under his bed.

_No! I will never again use that. I'd sooner stab myself through the heart.._

* * *

The night air held a bitter chill as the trio made their way to the Abandoned Dorm. The run down building looked as derelict as it always did, and given the fact that the moon was mostly obscured by clouds, it looked downright creepy. Jasmine carried the flashlight to help them along the way, so the trip had been mostly without incident. With the exception of the occasional tripping hazard, the paths were still in relatively good repair.

Alexis had told her two friends to remain behind, but they had insisted on tagging along for "emotional support". That, and Jasmine had made some comment about "making sure that boy doesn't try anything funny". She did appreciate the company, but all the same, Alexis couldn't shake the sense of misgiving that this place gave her. Every time she came near here, it reminded her of her brother, Atticus, and how he has mysteriously disappeared without a trace for several years. Then he had returned two years ago during the incident with the Shadow Riders, in the guise of the Dragon duelist Nightshroud. After being defeated by Jaden, he had remained unconscious in the nurse's office for several days, only waking up to surrender his half of the Shadow Pendant to Jaden, and again when she was confronted by Titan. She remembered the cruel satisfaction she'd felt as she vanquished the sinister masked Archfiend- wielder. After he'd lied to her about answering her questions about Atticus, she felt he'd deserved it. Plus, she was performing her duty as one of the Spirit Key guardians.

"Hey, 'Lexi. Are you okay?" Mindy had caught the faraway look in the leader's eye. She too was worried about this meeting. First of all, they were out after curfew. Also, something wasn't right about this whole situation. As they passed the entrance and made their way deeper into this ruin, the feeling intensified. Requesting a duel in this place felt..wrong.

Alexis brought herself back to the present. "Oh yes, I'm fine. Just thinking about Atticus, is all." In preparation for this matchup, she had been going over her deck, reevaluating her strategy. When going up against an unkown opponent, it was best to stick with your strengths, but also to have a few backup plans. She had no way of knowing Alastair's skill level, but she still didn't want to take any chances. Whatever he knew about her brother, she was tired of him dangling it in front of her like a carrot, just out of reach. She clenched her fist determinedly. "And once I win, he's going to tell me everything."

Jasmine, walking slightly ahead of them, smiled over her shoulder. "I know you'll so great. You're the best in our class, after all." For added effect, she gave a thumbs up.

Alexis smiled. "Thanks. And don't worry; I've no intention of losing to him."

"_**I'm glad to hear that. Because I've no intention of losing either**__._"

The three girls started at the sudden voice, a hollow echo out of the gloom. The flashlight fell from Jasmine's shaking hands and flickered out as it hit the ground. The room before them was dimly lit by ritualistic candles set in the walls, as well as faint illumination from the holes in the roof. Despite how long it had been since this facility was used, there was still an otherwoldly feel about this room. It was here that duel spirits had been brought into reality, and where Atticus had supposedly vanished. The same place where Alexis had dueled Titan. Scrawled on the cracked floor was a faded magic circle, interwoven with occult runes and symbols. The inscriptions had become worn with time, but they still gave off a faint iridescence. And there, kneeling calmly within this same circle, his back to them, their black-coated quarry awaited them.

* * *

This felt like a good place to pause for now. But the inevitable duel comes right after this. Do stay tuned.

Oh yes, another thing. I may be forced to up my rating to M as the story progresses, depending on how the plot shifts. As I mentioned in the last chapter, as long as this story is a work in progress, the plot can evolve on its own. If this turns you away, I'm sorry about that. If not, please read on. It's very encouraging to know that people still read my attempts at literary creation.


	6. The Queen of Obelisk Blue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu Gi Oh! GX. I only own my own characters.

It's time to D-d-d-d-DUEL!

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Queen of Obelisk Blue**

"Welcome, your Majesty. You're right on time" Alastair never raised his head, or turned around. He remained quietly in his meditative pose. The girls paused at the edge of the circle, uncertain of what to do or say. The boy continued. "Since you are here, I presume that you plan to abide by the terms previously agreed upon?"

Alexis crossed her arms. "You gave me your word on that matter. And I have no intention of backing out now either."

Unseen in the gloom, the ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I did indeed. As a man of honor, I keep my word. Should you prevail in this contest, I will answer your questions...within reason."

"And what's that supposed to mean, 'within reason'?" Jasmine's eyes narrowed. "That wasn't..!" She was interrupted as Alexis' hand came up.

"As long as I am satisfied by your answers, that's all I care about. And if you don't answer, you'd better have a good explanation as to why."

Alastair lifted his head, shoulders shaking from a mirthless chuckle. "Fair enough. And when I win, you _**will**_ return what you took. You did remember to bring it with you." Alexis fished the ring out from beneath her blouse, leaving it resting lightly against her chest. She had managed to repair the chain enough to fasten it securely around her own neck. The boy heard the slight rustling of metal on fabric and nodded. Satisfied that all was in order, he rose to his feet and turned to face the trio. The metal disk on his arm gleamed eerily in the moonlight filtering through that cracks in the ceiling. "Since you were the one to challenge me, you know how this works. Name the rules of this game." His face was set in a grim mask. The blonde girl opposite him returned his glare with one of her own.

"Academy rules, 4000 Life Points apiece. First person to zero is the loser." Alexis' voice was firm. Her opponent nodded and stepped forward, and held out both hands, one of which contained his Deck. The decks were exchanged, shuffled and returned, eliminating any suspicion of cheating. The opening ritual complete, both duelists took their places on opposite ends of the room. Mindy and Jasmine stood of to the side, acting as spectators and unofficial scorekeepers.

For a moment, the two young adults stared each other down, looking to make the other flinch. Failing there, both reached for their decks and snatched the top five cards. The Duel Disks both lit up, displaying the Life Points of their respective owners, the blades extending automatically...

"_**LET'S DUEL!**_"

Without missing a beat Alastair spoke up, drawing a card: "I'll go first."

He scanned his hand, a slight smirk quivering at the corners of his mouth.

"I'll play a monster in facedown defensive position. I'll also set one other card facedown." Holograms flashed into the field before him to match his actions. He looked up: "That concludes my turn."

Falling into the familiar routine, Alexis assumed a look of fierce concentration. She looked up. "Very well, my turn. I'll draw!" Examining her new hand, she thought to herself "_Perfect, just one more card, and this duel's in the bag." _Continuing aloud, she slapped a card onto her disk. "I'll play **Blade Skater** in Attack Mode"

The dust and debris swirled about violently as a figure emerged. Clad in purple, wielding two sharp blades on it's arms, **Blade Skater** **(1400/1500)** rose from the depths and positioned itself to pounce on the opponent.

"Now, **Blade Skater**, cut him down! Accel Slicer Attack!"

Spinning into action, the violet ballerina closed in for the kill. As a powerful downward slash connected with the face down, an explosion followed. Alexis couldn't see the cause, but waited for the smoke to clear. To her dismay, her own life points decreased as **Blade Skater** reeled back towards her. As the smoke cleared, she saw the reason. Before her hovered a giant stone figure, its massive hands uplifted to block any attack sent its way. _**Stone Statue of the Aztecs**__?!_ **(300/2000)** _How could I have been so careless!_

"An excellent monster for setting up an early defensive lineup. And I'm sure you know its effect, Miss Rhodes. In case you do not, and for your friends' benefit, I'll mention it. _**Any battle damage that your **__**opponent takes when they attack this monster is doubled**_."

Jasmine's eyes went wide: "Doubled?!"

Mindy's hands came up to her mouth: "But that means that Alexis is down to…"

Alexis gritted her teeth: "2800 Life Points."

She pulled herself together: "Alright, good move, I'll give you that. I'll play two facedowns to conclude my turn."

Alastair carelessly drew a card. With a quick glance at it, he sorted it into his hand and rescanned the cards, frowning. Finally, he selected one. "I'll play **Magical Mallet**. This enables me to _**toss my entire hand back into my deck and draw a whole new hand**_. That's four new cards for me. Which one….Ah! Here we go. I'll play **Gemini Elf ****(1900/900) **in attack mode." He slid the card onto his disk. The Elf twins rose before him, smirking sadistically at his opponent's discomfiture. Hovering in midair, the two spellcasters cracked their knuckles in anticipation, knowing what would come next. They weren't disappointed.

"Now, **Gemini Elf**! Destroy **Blade Skater** with Mirage Roundhouse Kick!"

Alexis braced herself for impact, but knew that she wasn't done yet. She had anticipated this. All she had to do was weather this turn, and she could win. The sisters swooped down on her **Blade Skater**. Two kicks connected with the ballerina's head simultaneously, from opposite sides. **Blade Skater** screamed and shattered to bits, with Alexis absorbing the rest of the damage. (**Alexis: 2300 LP)** She threw up her arms to protect her face, staggering slightly, but recovered in time to hear him say:

"I'll set another facedown to conclude my turn."

She felt sore and sluggish as she drew another card. However, her worries vanished in an instant as she glimpsed her new acquisition She met Alastair's cold stare with a look of triumph.

"I'll deploy my facedown trap card, **Call of the Haunted!** This enables me to bring **Blade Skater** back to the field. But I'm also Normal Summoning **Etoile Cyber** **(1200/1600)**." The red clad gymnast took her place beside her companion, poised for action.

"Mmmm." He watched as her strategy unveiled, his arms crossed.

"Now I play the spell card, **Polymerization**, fusing together my two monster.."

"_Here it comes", _he muttered to himself. The blue and orange spiral art of the fusion card rose up on her field, and both **Etoile Cyber** and **Blade Skater** were sucked into it. The card sank into the floor, making the faded runes glow brighter. Alexis Rhodes stood tall as her pride and joy took form before her.

"At last, here's my cyber girl. I summon my trump card, _**CYBER BLADER**_ **(2100/800)**!"

Alastair hardly batted an eye as the newly summoned warrior materialized before him across the field. Scarlet and purple, riding lightly on two razor-sharp steel skates, **Cyber Blader** spiraled out of the ground, positioning herself before her master, ready to protect her at all costs. Alexis' two sidekicks cheered; once Alexis got this monster out, most people were hard pressed to cope with it.

"Right now, your bringing backup for your first monster was a big mistake. Thanks to my **Cyber Blader**'s second effect, because of your two monsters, _**her attack doubles**_!"

Alastair's eyes narrowed as he watched the enemy's monster power up to 4200 Attack points. His gloved fingers rested on the edge of his Disk. He steeled himself as she flung out her arm in his direction. Her command rang out loud and clear:

"**Cyber Blader**! Attack and destroy **Gemini Elf** with Whirlwind Rage!"

Obediently, **Cyber Blader** began to pirouette gracefully, spinning faster and faster. As she closed in on her target, the elf twins huddled together for the impact. But it never came. Alastair's arm flew up, signalling the activation of his facedown, which rose up to absorb the attack. **Cyber Blader** reappeared in front of Alexis, trapped in a spiked wheel, a demonic contraption built like the jaws of hell, bristling with massive fangs.

"Thank you, Alexis! You activated my trap card, **Nightmare Wheel**. Now your trump card is useless….to you. As long as **Nightmare Wheel** is on the field, **Cyber Blader** cannot attack, or change its battle position. And look, it gets even better: For every standby phase of mine, as long as **Nightmare Wheel** is on the field, _**you lose an additional 500 Life points**_. The effect will slowly bleed you dry!"

Alexis cursed. She had been stupid. But she could fix that with **Heavy Storm** or **Dust Tornado**, if she could draw them in time. She was feeling insulted, almost humiliated by the manner in which Alastair was handling this game. It was so different from Jaden's lighthearted or even Chazz' ultra-aggressive attitudes. He was turning her own strategies against her. "I'll play a facedown to end my turn!"

Her opponent was not in the mood to be merciful. If his eyes were any indication, she was little more than lowly prey, another victim. "I think the time has come to put you out of you misery. I draw one card, and you now take 500 points of damage."

Alexis flinched as her Life Points dropped to 1800. A slight cry of pain escaped her as her breath seemed to freeze in her lungs, like shards of ice in her throat. The sensations began to make her panic. Something was very wrong here. Not only did it feel like her opponent was merely toying with her, crushing her slowly, there was something else. She knew the feeling of backlash from battle damage during a duel, but this was different, far more intense. It was starting to remind her of another duel which she had fought in this very room...

"I tribute both **Stone Statue of the Aztecs** and **Gemini Elf** to summon **Barrel Dragon** **(2600/2200)** in Attack Mode."

"_This is going from bad to worse!" _Alexis muttered to herself as the ground cracked and split to allow the new monster to emerge from the field. The battle tank, made of black gleaming metal, took aim with its three long cannon barrels. It towered over her, engines purring softly, waiting for the order to kill. To make matters worse, because there was now only one monster on her opponent's field, **Cyber Blader**'s attack points reverted to 2100. She crossed her fingers and hoped that **Cyber Blader** would be able to still save her. Through the mist that was beginning to obscure her vision, she could make out Alastair's face, which remained cold as he selected a card from his hand, and held it ready, with its back to her.

"Hmm. Interesting, I have several options here. I know that I can't destroy your **Cyber Blader** by battle owing to it's first special effect, due to the fact that I have only _**one monster on my side of the field**_ right now."

_Oh no! He knows! _ The blood drained from her face. His eyes hardened in grim amusement.

"I know all about that card. I used to have trouble when a friend of mine would play it. She used a deck strategy which was very similar to what you're currently utilizing."

He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. Then taking a deep breath, he continued:

"I can, however, inflict battle damage on you, by attacking your **Cyber Blader**, which as of right now is locked in Attack position, owing to **Nightmare Wheel**'s effect. Given that **Barrel Dragon** has more attack points than she does, you'd take the difference in battle damage. But that would be only 500 points per turn. No, I would rather exploit this opportunity to the fullest by demonstrating a personal favorite game-ending tactic. It proceeds as follows…"

Still holding the card so as to keep its identity concealed, Alastair raised it up, holding it lightly between his index and middle fingers.

"I activate **Barrel Dragon**'s special effect..."

A gold coin appeared in the middle of the field and tossed itself into the air. Repeating this process three times, the results were: _heads, tails, heads._ The smile widened into a sinister smirk.

"Now observe! If the results of the coin toss include at least two heads, _**the monster that I select is immediately destroyed**_. My target: **Cyber Blader**!"

With an anguished shriek, **Cyber Blader** vanished from sight. With its target destroyed, **Nightmare Wheel** also exploded. All parties were focused on Alastair's next move.

"I now play this card! This will teach you a lesson about taking what doesn't belong to you..."

Alastair's voice sank to a venomous hiss as he flipped the card in his hand around, revealing it to be…

"_**AUTONOMOUS ACTION UNIT?!**_" the three girls screamed simultaneously.

"That's right. I pay 1500 Life points to activate this…!"

Suddenly Alastair stopped, looking like a person who'd just been punched in the gut. He doubled over as his life points decreased. His hand came up to his head, and his eyes closed in agony. He knelt there, breathing heavily for a moment, struggling for control. His hand crept down to his arm and clutched it tightly. A few drops of blood emerged from beneath his sleeve, flowing over the black glove, dripping off the fingertips and onto the floor.

When he looked up, the girls could see that a shadow seemed to have passed from his face; at least his eyes were no longer so feral-looking. What lingered there was a look of disgust, horror, loathing. He looked at Alexis with a look that was as apologetic as it was sympathetic. Picking himself up, he wiped away the cold sweat that had begun to form across his forehead. He resumed, using a much softer expression than before.

"I apologize for that..lack of control. Having paid the tribute, I can now _**summon a monster from my opponent's graveyard**_. My selection is….**Cyber Blader**!"

Mindy, Jasmine, and Alexis groaned in unison as Alexis' strongest monster rose up on Alastair's field in Attack Mode. She stood resolutely beside **Barrel Dragon**, awaiting orders. Alexis felt a chill as she realized just how intimidating her own monster looked from this side.

"Let's finish this! **Barrel Dragon**, attack with Triple Plasma Shot!"

Alexis activated her facedown: "I'm not done yet! I play **Waboku**. I take zero damage for the rest of this turn from your monsters."

"Now, I'm impressed! You really do live up your reputation." The boy gave her an appraising look. "Zane wasn't exaggerating."

Alexis drew a card, and felt her vision clear. She smiled; the duel wasn't ever yet. "I play **Pot of Greed**. This lets me draw two more cards. Now I'll set a monster in defensive position and another card facedown to end my turn."

Alastair actually smiled for the first time. He drew a card. Glancing at it, he placed it in position:

"I equip **Fairy Meteor Crush** to **Barrel Dragon**. Now if I attack a monster in defense position, if my **Barrel Dragon**'s attack is greater than your monster's defense, _**you take the difference as damage to your Life points**_. I now activate **Barrel Dragon**'s effect, aiming it at your set monster..." The gold coin reappeared and tossed itself: _heads, tails, tails_.

Alastair shrugged his shoulders: "Oh well! I still have my attacks. **Barrel Dragon**, attack again with Triple Plasma Shot!"

The three waves of energy streaked across the field, but were blocked by a wall of blue light that suddenly appeared. Alastair looked up, annoyed. He saw Alexis smirking as she slipped a card into her graveyard.

"Sorry, Alastair! I activate **Hallowed Life Barrier**. By _**discarding one card, not only do I take no damage, but my monster isn't destroyed**_. Unfortunately, I still have to reveal it, so here she is, **Command Knight**! **(1200/1900) **And thanks to her special effect, _**any face up Warrior Type monsters on my field gain 400 attack points while she remains alive**_. That includes her. **(1600/1900)**

"Clever save.." Alastair admitted grudgingly as he ended his turn.

"That's almost kind of you!" Alexis smirked as she drew her next card. "Now let's see what you do about this! I play another monster in defense position and end my turn with that!" _Just need to survive this round, then I can rebalance the field, maybe even pull off a win._

"Good, time to wrap this up. I draw a card, then activate **Barrel Dragon**'s effect again. But this time, my target is your facedown monster."

Alexis turned pale at these words; her victory counted on that card remaining in play. She watched with high strung nerves as the fatal coin reappeared. It flipped: _heads, heads, heads_.

Alexis knew it was over. She could only watch as she was destroyed. Her facedown monster, **D. D. Warrior Lady**, never even saw the light of day before being sent to the graveyard, nullifying its effect entirely.

" Now, I attack your **Command Knight** with **Barrel Dragon**. Triple Plasma Shot!"

Alexis steeled herself to take another brutal hit, but it never came. Her monster was destroyed and her life points fell again. **(Alexis: 1100 LP)** _Wait? _She looked up in surprise, _what was different?_ She had barely felt that one..

"And finally, I attack you with **Cyber Blader** to end this game: Whirlwind Rage!"

For Alexis, being defeated by her own favorite monster was the ultimate humiliation. She took the hit and sank to her knees in defeat, her duel disk deactivating as her life points decreased to zero. For a moment, she couldn't speak, she was too disappointed. She bit her lip in frustration. Mindy and Jasmine were just as stunned. Alexis had just..._lost!?_ And to make things even worse, she'd failed to land one single successful attack on her opponent.

There was a quiet snap-hiss as the boy's Disk retracted and switched off. Without a word, he approached the fallen Queen and held out his hand. Mutely, she removed the trinket from around her neck and handed it over. Alastair gave it a quick inspection, nodded in satisfaction and slipped it into his pocket. He then offered his hand again to Alexis. Shakily, she took it and staggered with the effort of being pulled to her feet. Mindy and Jasmine ran to her side for support, but buckled as their leader sagged in their arms. Mindy looked alarmed. "What have you done to her?"

"Not here!" The boy's voice was harsh. He brushed the girls aside and slung Alexis' arm across his shoulders, effectively carrying her. He swiftly backtracked through the dark hallways of the dorm, the other two struggling to keep up. Emerging into the cold night, he moved to a nearby tree, where he propped the semi-conscious girl up against the trunk. He moved her face to look at him directly.

"Alexis. Alexis Rhodes!" The blonde girl stirred feebly at the sound of her name, her movements lethargic. Her eyes opened a bit, unfocused and dull. He gripped her shoulders. "Alexis, I know you can hear me. Stay with me, got it? I know this is hard, but you have to fight it. Do not give in."

"...hurts..." Her head lolled forward.

"_Dammit!_" His teeth ground together in frustration. Whipping around, he pointed to the other two girls. "Both of you, get back to the schoolhouse and wake the nurse. I'll be right behind you!"

"Just who do you think you..?"

Alastair cut off the protest with a quick gesture. "I'd suggest that if you want to help your friend, you get moving. She's running out of time."

"...so tired...cold.." Alexis curled into a fetal position and began to shake.

A hiss escaped the boy's lips, something that sounded suspiciously like a curse. He grabbed her and hauled her to her feet, slinging the body over his shoulder. His glare at the other two was nothing short of pure rage. "Why are you still here!?" He whipped his arm towards the Academy. "Go! Now!"

With her two friends gone, Alexis gave another incoherent mumble. Alastair glanced at her face as he carried her. He shifted his grip to ensure that her legs wouldn't drag along the ground as he hurried down the forest path. When she gave another shudder, he grimaced. She wasn't going to make it if he didn't do something soon.

_But what can I do? These symptoms are almost impossible to treat at this advanced stage. If only I'd caught it sooner..._

_ **….Well, there is one thing that might help.**_

_ Wait, if you do that..!_

_ **There's no time to worry about that! If I don't act soon, she won't make it till morning...**_

Alastair's mouth set in a grim line as he reached his decision. He set the girl down again. Through a gap in the trees, he could see the lights of the Academy across the lake. He still needed to get around that, pass the Slifer dorms and get up the hill to reach his objective. Too far, given how much time he estimated that he had. He unfastened his black coat, draping over her shivering body to keep her warm. Beneath that, he wore a black turtleneck shirt with long sleeves. He reached up, gripped the material which formed the right sleeve and pulled. The fabric tore away, revealing the bandaged wrapped arm and gloved hand. Alastair removed the black gauntlet, then began to unwind the bandages..

* * *

Twenty minutes later, he staggered through the door of the nurse's office, Alexis supported on his shoulder. Ms. Fontaine jumped to her feet and ran to his side and took the girl's other arm. Together they moved Alexis to a bed which had been prepared for her. To Mindy and Jasmine's relief, their leader seemed to have returned to some level of coherency. At the very least, she seemed vaguely aware of where she was, and was able to follow simple instruction given to her by the nurse. She even climbed into bed on her own power, albeit not without difficulty.

The boy had retired to behind the curtain to give the women their privacy, but once his opponent was situated for the night, he made his presence known. He entered the draped area, looking paler than usual, rubbing his arm beneath the material of his coat sleeve. Alastair cast his eye over the nurse, the two friends who looked between their leader and him with equal parts relief and fear, and finally settled on the Queen herself.

Alexis lay back against the pillows, absolutely exhausted. Her chest rose and fell slowly with each breath, as she struggled to stay awake. Her eyes found him, and she gave a faint smile. "..Rough night, huh?"

Alastair tried to reciprocate, but it came across as more of a grimace. "I apologize for this. I got too caught up in the game to pay attention to what you were going through. That was gross negligence on my part."

Alexis shook her head. "It's alright. I'm just a bit tired, that's all. That Duel took more out of me than usual. You didn't give me an inch."

"Well, I do take my Dueling very seriously." The boy gave a humorless chuckle, the smile not reaching his eyes. She smiled appreciatively at his attempt at mirth. It still hurt that she had lost so badly, but it was just one Duel. Since she'd gotten him to play once, why not again after she recovered? She took his hand, which rested lightly on the rail of her bed. "When I recover, you and I are going to have a rematch. Okay?"

He averted his eyes and shook his head. "Sorry, but that's a promise I can't make. I don't have very many Duels left in me, but the few which I can have need to be more than just trivial matches."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. _What was he implying_? In answer, he looked at the other three, who had been listening in on the conversation without comment. "May the two of us have some privacy for a few minutes, please?" He looked directly at the nurse. "I'll fill out a statement for you when I'm done in here."

When they were alone, Alastair sat quietly, looking at the girl before him. She watched him as well, uncertain of what to do or say. He closed his eyes and took a calming breath. "As part of my apology, allow me the tell you something. I've never met your brother Atticus, only heard about him. As I told you before, Zane and I met up a little while back and he told me a few things about the Academy. He even gave me some of your information, telling me to watch over you in his absence, to even try and be your friend, since he was no longer here." He paused and bit his lip in frustration. "Unfortunately, my people skills are subpar at best, and circumstances force me to everyone at arm's length. I can't be here forever. I'm only here until my job is done; after that, I'm leaving the Academy."

"Why..?"

"You've felt it for yourself, Ms. Rhodes. I can't Duel people anymore. Whenever I do, they get hurt."

Alexis made a placating gesture. "But that's just a part of the game, isn't it? It's designed to seem real."

Alastair shook his head. "No, it didn't seem real at all."

The blonde girl leaned forward. "What are you saying?"

For a moment, he was silent, an unreadable look in his eyes. Sighing, he stood and made his way to her side. He silently adjusted her blankets so that she looked more confortable. Turning away, he gave her a sidelong look. "Understand this, Alexis: what happened tonight was very real."

Alastair strode to the door. Opening it, he looked back at her over his shoulder. "You were exactly 1800 Life points from losing your soul to a Shadow Game this evening."

With those words, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

**What do you think? My character's first duel. Being one who hasn't dueled in a while, his deck is somewhat out of date, but it works just fine. I didn't reveal some of this deck's strongest cards yet, however. Those are for later.**

**I look forward to hearing from you again when you review.**


	7. Shadow Spell

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu Gi Oh! GX; That right belongs to Nihon Ad Systems, Inc. and Hatsuki Tsuji. I only own my own characters.

**Chapter 7: Shadow Spell**

"..and now she's confined to bed in the hospital wing."

"No way! How is that possible?"

"Well, I heard…"

The rumor mill was in full swing. News of the Academy's Queen had spread like wildfire, and everyone was starving for the juicy details. The only problem, no one actually knew what was going on. The actual witnesses were not talking (Jasmine and Mindy had remained surprisingly quiet about the whole affair), but that didn't stop the gossipmongers from trying to fill in the gaps on their own.

Stranger too, the transfer student was MIA, leading to some nasty suspicions. For the first two days after Alexis' "injury", he had been seen in class as usual. It was difficult to miss, since he was the only one besides the Princeton boy who clashed with the standard uniform. Some of the more observant individuals noticed that he seemed more preoccupied than usual. By the second day, his irritation had become apparent in the form of a vicious scowl, coupled with a few impatient gestures. On day three, his absence began.

#####################################

Alexis had been in the hospital wing for almost a week now, recovering from her ordeal. Despite having no physical injuries, she was forced to remain in bed due to a severe case of "overexertion", as the nurse put it. Even sitting upright in a chair for an extended period of time proved taxing for her strength. It was frustrating, but there was nothing to be done. So she remained in bed, studying between naps, keeping up the regular homework assignments which her friends kept her up to date on. After all, it wouldn't do to fall behind in academics at this point.

She had no shortage of visitors, owing in no small part to her popularity. Some were actually coming to offer sympathy, others merely curious. Her friends made it a point to come see her every day, too. She did get a small chuckle out of a sloppily-made card which Chazz handed to her, too embarrassed to look her in the eye. The wording was so cheesy that she had to resist the urge to facepalm, at least in his presence. She strongly suspected that he had a major crush on her, even if she didn't feel the same way about him, but the sentiment was appreciated.

When Jaden and the others questioned her about the incident, however, she found that her memory of events was fuzzy. She remembered challenging Alastair, he accepted, she arrived at the dorm….and then what? The duel was a complete blank. Alexis wasn't stupid, it was obvious that she must have lost, but she couldn't remember the details. Her two girlfriends had deflected the questions, other than to agree that the outcome of the duel had not been in her favor. Mindy seemed fearful whenever the subject was brought up, Jasmine would stop talking altogether, her mouth drawn in an angry, stubborn line.

While the distractions were nice, she had a lot to think about. Not being able to recall what had happened convinced her that it had been traumatic, and she was simply suffering from stress induced amnesia. But to think she had been defeated so badly… is this what Alastair had spoken of when he said that he had stopped Hell Kaiser? The thought was troubling, to think that he possessed that level of power and skill as to bring the former Academy idol to his knees. Or was there something else..?

But her questions continued to remain unanswered. The Cunningham boy was missing in action, and none of the other students had seen the transfer student either since the incident. And he seemed to sit at the center of the tangled mystery. It was like he'd disappeared from the island itself. His dorm mates said that his room was unoccupied too. It was as though he had disappeared from the very face of the island.

#########################################

Deep within the woods, the subject in question sat within a secluded grotto, deep in meditation. Before him were several books worth of notes, and he was attempting to find the missing link to the tangled puzzle. The boy's brow furrowed uneasily, and his gloved right hand tightened.

"I'm so close to finding her, I can taste it. But every time I think I have her, she slips through my fingers. And it's not getting easier with time." He gingerly rubbed his right arm, massaging down its length. "There's nothing for it; I have to take the fight right to her doorstep, since she's not biting. And she's got far more time than I do. My only hope is that she's not expecting it."

He gave a mirthless chuckle at his own predicament. The Shadow Realm was not a place to be taken lightly. He brought his hand to his side, where a nasty gash stained the skin beneath his shredded shirt. Only a last second dodge had kept him from being torn in half by the Cyber Archfiend which had blindsided him. For something so big, it could sure move silently.

"I know what I need to make this work." He muttered to himself, "I've tested all my theories and they've worked. The problem isn't the implementation, it's.." He trailed off as he pulled himself to his feet. His destination was the Academy, specifically the nurse's office.

########################################

Nurse Fontaine looked up from her reports as she heard the door slide open. She was a bit startled to see the ebony-clad youth standing in the room. Her first reaction was to jump up and help him, seeing as he was clutching his lacerated side, and seemed to be favoring one leg. Pulling up a chair, she waved him to sit down, while she began collecting supplies. Alastair sat down with a resigned expression, lifting his shirt as instructed to allow the nurse better access.

"!"

Fonda had to stop a gasp from escaping at the sight before her. Yes, there was blood, a lot of it, but she could handle that. What unsettled her was the appearance of the boy's torso; it was pale, like the rest him, but more of an ash white. It certainly didn't look healthy, in fact it appeared that the body before her was slowly wasting away.

"Before you say anything, I already know it looks bad. It's been like that for months."

His biting words brought her back to reality, and the look in his eyes stopped the protest before it could be vocalized. Dabbing a cotton ball in antiseptic, she looked the wound over. It was difficult remaining professional with this stubborn youth who seemed not to care about the state of his health. If she had to guess, he was actively looking for death. She had to give him credit though: despite the severity of the wound, he never once flinched or gave any other indication of discomfort.

Alastair rubbed his eyes. "How is…Alexis doing?"

Fonda continued with her work. "She is still resting. Whatever happened, it really did a number on her. My initial examination revealed nothing physically wrong with her, so I attributed it to fatigue, and maybe stress."

The boy snorted. "Stress." A lopsided smirk crept over his face, as he muttered, "That might be an apt description for it."

The nurse caught that last, "She claims to not remember anything that happened. Some kind of PTSD, I'm guessing. Do you know what's going on?"

Alastair hesitated. "Is she coherent?"

Professor Fontaine nodded. "She's been fairly normal and lucid since her arrival, save the first night. Her condition doesn't seem to be improving though, and that worries me."

She finished wrapping the gauze and taping it in place. She glanced at the boy's arm, drooped listlessly at his side. "How's your…condition?"

Alastair's face darkened. "I'll live.."

Fonda sighed. "Since I know you're just going to ignore me anyway when I tell you to be careful, at least take this." She held out a fresh gauze wrap and bandages. "At the very least, you can keep it clean."

Mutely, he accepted the offering, depositing them in an inner pocket of his coat. He stood, "…Thank you. Now if you excuse me, I have to have a private discussion with Ms Rhodes."

#######################################

(Near Duel Academy, the forest)

"Jaden, wait up!"

Syrus panted after his friend, clutching at a stitch in his side. Close behind Syrus were the rest of the gang: Bastion, Chazz, Tyranno, as well as Mindy and Jasmine. The group was on their way towards the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm.

"C'mon Sy! We need to find out what happened to Alexis. I have a feeling that the answer's waiting for us where she fought that duel"

"Yeah? What makes you think we'll find anything!" Chazz was not happy about this idea. It seemed like a wild goose chase. To make matters worse, the three Ojamba brothers were making his life hell, jabbering nonstop atop his shoulder. He was ready to snap at any second.

Bastion interjected at this point: "Well, considering the circumstances, we don't seem to have much choice. According to the two ladies here, Alexis' symptoms resulted from that duel. Alastair hasn't been seen for days. With him out of the picture, it seems logical that we search the duel field for clues."

"That's kind of my point! They were dueling **at the Abandoned Dorm**. What clues do you expect to find?!" Chazz gave Bastion a sidelong glance which was far from flattering.

The empiricist met the gaze of the black-coated boy beside him. He paused, then replied: "It's better than sitting around doing nothing, isn't it? We won't know until we check!"

"Well I, for one, agree with Bastion!" Tyranno's voice cut in unexpectedly. "Any good soldier knows that if you search the battlefield hard enough, you can find almost always find something useful!"

"Hey, Chazz! I would have thought that you, for one, would have been the first one to try to save her, instead of trying to discourage the rescue attempt!" Syrus' wheezy yet venomous retort snapped back from the front of the group.

Chazz's jaw dropped. His eyes assumed a far away expression. His voice softened: "You're right. We have to save her. My dear, precious Alexis! Chazz is coming to help you!"

To the group's great surprise and amusement, Chazz picked up the pace. He had soon outdistanced Syrus, and then Jaden. The latter looked after the frantic teenager disappearing into the distance and shook his head.

As the others paused for a moment, Jasmine and Mindy came up to Syrus. Their expressions were inscrutable, something between a glare and a bemused smirk.

"Nice one, Syrus. I think you broke his brain."

Mindy sniggered: "Well, at least we know an effective way to get Chazz to do anything from now on."

(At the dorm)

Jaden and company surveyed the dilapidated building, taking it in turns to investigate the room and patrol the dorm's perimeter. They searched for almost an hour without turning up anything. When they finally took a break for lunch, Chazz was back to his normal, sour self again. Even Jaden was starting to feel discouraged about the hopelessness of their situation. He stretched out on a rock and sighed. Their friend and dueling partner was possibly dying in the nurse's office. She would not wake up. What to do? What to do?

Staring up at the sky, he was distracted by a familiar sound.

_Kuri!_

"What's the matter, **Winged Kuriboh**?"

_Kuri! Kuri! Kuuuuriiiiii!_

Jaden nodded. Turning to the others, he called out:

"Look sharp guys! There's something coming this way, and it doesn't seem friendly."

As the teens regrouped, preparing themselves for whatever was approaching, they felt it, an oppressive feeling, like a pressure wave. **Ojamba Yellow** crowded right up to Chazz's ear:

_Can't you feel It, Boss? That thing out there is really powerful. I'm scared!_

Chazz flicked the annoying little critter off his shoulder. He was already watching the intruder, ready to react to anything that might happen. Jaden and Chazz slipped their duel disks on, an action that all imitated. Reaching for their decks, they were stopped by a deep, harsh, mechanical voice:

_**You won't need those. I come merely to deliver a message."**_

Jaden's eyes widened. He knew that voice, but where from and when. He let his mind travel back through the previous semesters, remembering…remembering. He had the name on the tip of his tongue, but couldn't get it out

His doubts were resolved when the air before them rippled and distorted, materializing into a shadowy figure stepping into the open. Tall and menacing, red eyes glittering with malice, metallic green skin shining eerily, the monster stood with crossed arms. Jaden gasped in recognition and disbelief:

"_**Jinzo**__!?"_

* * *

Sorry about the long wait on this chapter. I've had a writer's block for a while, but also I want to be very careful about how this story develops.

I hope that you enjoyed my last chapter. It took me several tries to get the flow so that I was satisfied with it. Having never written any dueling fanfics before, it was a fun experience.

I hope that you review. Hear from you soon.


	8. Disciple of the Forbidden Spell

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu Gi Oh! GX. I only own the rights to my own characters.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Disciple of the Forbidden Spell**

Drawing the curtains to ensure some privacy, Alastair approached the young woman's bedside. Alexis appeared to be asleep, if her closed eyes and slow breathing gave any indication. Sparing a glance at her vitals, he noted with some satisfaction that she seemed to be stable, at least for the moment. He turned as if to leave, but hesitated upon taking a backwards glance. Muttering something about this going on long enough, he pulled up the chair and plunked himself down, resolved to wait until she woke up.

Ingrained throughlong habit, he fell into deep thought. Going over all the angles in his head, he was more certain than ever that he was close to his quarry. He had allowed the duel to surge out of control momentarily, perhaps a bit too long. In doing so, he had put this girl's life at risk. But for just a brief instant, he's felt a familiar presence. She'd been close enough to sense it, and she would investigate. If she had any hope of fulfilling her lifelong ambition, she was left with few alternatives.

He brought his right hand up to eye level and smirked humorlessly at the covered appendage. "Last time, I wasn't strong enough to make an impact" he muttered. "But now.."

His long introspection was interrupted by the young lady stirring before him. Alexis gradually came back to the conscious world, stretching to try and ease the stiffness in her arms and legs. Opening her bleary eyes, she was somewhat surprised by the surprise visitor.

"Um...hi?"

Alastair acknowledged her with his typical nod. He seemed to be studying her, at least that seemed to be his intention from the intensity of his gaze. Feeling self conscious, she pulled the covers up to her chest and glared at the boy opposite.

"Do you want something? Or are you just enjoying the show?"

There it was again, that flash of anger in those empty blue eyes, a spark that faded almost before it could be noticed. The now empty orbs rose to meet her own.

"How do you feel?"

The question threw her. Coming out of the blue, especially given the impresion she first got from him. A few seconds later, her brain managed to restart enough for her to vocalize a coherent response.

"I...I'm fine."

Again, he nodded in acknowledgement. His gaze flickered down to his hands, folded in his lap. A pained look contorted his face as his fists balled tightly.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

With those words, Alexis felt a searing pain in her head. Doubled over, she found herself remembering the duel, turn by turn. Every painful hit she had taken, every mistake she had made, it all came back to her in an instant. He'd crushed her mercilessly, and almost seemed to have enjoyed it. It was only at the end that things had reverted to some semblance of normality. Alexis glared at him coldly.

"Just who...or what...are you?"

At the venom in her tone, he sat back in his chair, his face a bitter mask.

"I used to be normal, just like all of you. I was happy, and had everything I could possibly want: a loving family, a promising future, and even.." He choked on these last words. Ducking his head to conceal his moistening eyes, he forced the rest out. "..a girlfriend."

For several moments, he sat with his head buried in his hands. Then he took a shuddering breath and continued, "All that changed a few years ago. I lost everything, and now I'm little more than an outcast living on borrowed time."

Alexis felt sorry for him, but it was at odds with the fear and anger she felt for putting her life at risk. At first she was silent, but then she asked, "Does attempted murder factor into your hobbies in your spare time?"

Anger flared up again. "Attempted murder? Hardly! If I'd wanted to kill you, it'd be all too easy. No, you provoked me, and your current situation is your own fault." Alastair's gaze burned holes in her for several long seconds. "But I will confess, I did put your life at risk by agreeing to the duel in the first place. For that, I am culpable. And again, I apologize."

He stood and turned to leave, deciding that he needed to reign in his temper before continuing. He took a moment to smooth down the front of his coat, holding her gaze. "Tell me, Alexis. If you thought you had the chance to get something precious back, something you thought lost forever, even if it meant doing something that you felt was wrong, would you do it?"

Reaching the door, he spared the girl a glance over his shoulder, his hand on the knob.

"And I swear to you, I will get her back, even if it kills me."

Giving her a meaningful look, he closed the door behind him.

#########################################

To say that Alexis was miffed would be a slight understatement. Her pride as a duelist, the pain about her brother, the way Alastair just seemed to be toying with her at times; it left her seething. Add the note upon which he left her, which to her felt like rubbing salt in the wound, and she just wanted to take him down. The more she reflected upon it, the worse it got.

_...Power_

But as she had already experienced firsthand, it wasn't going to be easy. As she stood now, she stood no chance; he was too skilled as a duelist. She had to find a way to strike him when he was weak. Now if she could just find a weakness...

_Do you desire power?_

She wanted to scream in frustration. Play by play, she recalled how he had made a mockery of her time proven strategy, tore it apart, then turned it against her. He had known her entire playbook right from the start, but she knew next to nothing about him. If only she knew more. If only she was stronger. If only she had the power to take him on at his level.

_Do you wish for power to strike him down?_

She finally registered the voice. Strange, seeing as she was the only one in the room. Even more odd, it seemed to be coming from her right. The only thing which lay in that direction was her bedside table, upon which rested her deck. Dubious, she took hold of it and glanced through it. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Until..

_I ask you, do you desire the power to match him?_

Not from her deck. She glanced at her card case. Unless it was..

Alexis withdrew the cards from within. It was the cards from her White Night deck. They were giving off an otherworldly aura. The card of **White Night Queen** resonated especially strong in her hands. It shimmered dimmly in the dark room.

_If you do indeed wish for that power, then the pact will take effect._

There was no longer any doubt. Here was the source of the voice. And she could finally beat him, if she only wished for it? For a moment she hesitated. Sentient cards? But then she recalled how certain people like Jaden and Chazz spoke to things called "duel spirits", duel monsters which could manifest in the real world, seen only by those who had that same gift. Maybe she was finally able to do the same, or more of her potential was finally coming to light. And if she could take him on...

Her eyes hardened. "I want this power. He's going to pay."

The next sound issuing from her mouth was a quiet gasp. A few drops of blood trickled from her fingertip. The card glowed more intensely.

_The pact is made. The tribute has been paid. We shall meet again soon, my proxy..._

The ensuing maelstrom of power nearly tore the room apart.

##########################################

Jaden eyed the mechanical monstrosity that stood before him with a mixture of anger and distaste. He remembered back to his first semester at the Academy. The Academy séance club had brought the duel spirit **Jinzo** to life, but at a terrible price. **Jinzo** could not gain a fully substantial form without a sacrifice of sorts; in this case, three human souls. He, Jaden had dueled **Jinzo** in a fierce Shadow Game over at the island's power plant to rescue the three hapless boys who had fallen victim. He remembered how tough the duel had been, especially owning to certain unusual circumstances…

***flashback***

Jaden: "Hey, wait a sec! You can't draw yourself!"

Jinzo: _**I just did!**_

***end flashback***

**Jinzo** stepped forward again. Jaden's hand reached for the top card on his deck. **Jinzo**'s hands opened to show that they were empty. Jaden hesitated, and waited for the opponent to move. Chazz coldly analyzed the new arrival, ignoring the frantic jabbering of the monster trio. He wasn't sure whether or not he should get his eyes checked. _A duel monster come to life?!_ _What's going on here?!_

Pausing about fifteen feet from the group, **Jinzo** addressed them:

_**My master was ambushed on the slopes of the volcano and left in peril. Without assistance, he will not last long.**_

Tyranno jumped up:

"What?! A soldier in need of assistance? Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go!"

Bastion seized Hasselberry's arm:

"Wait! It could be a trap!"

Glaring at **Jinzo**, he demanded:

"How do we know that we can trust you?"

_**You can't. You can just believe, or not. I am only here by my master's orders.**_

"And who is your master"

**Jinzo'**s outline began to blur. The image became less solid, less distinct.

_**A former Shadow duelist, who renounced everything to try and get back what he lost…Hurry! With each passing second, he grows weaker. My existence here requires the sacrifice of some of his life energy, and he has little to spare. It will soon be too la…**_

The voice died suddenly. The remaining image vanished in a cloud of darkness. What remained was a small object that fluttered down to the ground. The group started towards the volcano. Mindy, however, approached the fallen item cautiously, as though afraid it might bite. When she reached the spot, she was startled to find that the object was just a **Jinzo** Duel Monster card. Pocketing it, she shook her head. _Too weird._

(At the volcano)

Jaden and company finally lessened the pace as they neared the top. They had been hastily searching in all directions for the unknown duelist, but had so far seen no sign of anyone. The guys were frustrated, the girls felt sad. Jaden had tried to get **Winged Kuriboh**'s help, but the furry little critter was unable to detect anything. It was no use asking the Ojamba brothers for help (they couldn't stay focused enough on the task at hand), and Chazz wasn't in the mood to bother. He was fuming. Thanks to some punk duelist, his precious Alexis lay in the infirmary, wavering back and forth. He glowered at the unpleasant recollection from the previous day.

******flashback******

_Fonda Fontaine rechecked the instruments and shook her head sadly._

"_I've never seen a case quite like this. Her vitals have stabilized, but she's not recovering her strength. This is beyond my skill to care for. All we can do now is wait and hope for a miracle."_

_Chazz looked at the girl he loved as she tossed restlessly in a constant nightmare from which she could not wake. He couldn't wait to get his hands on the creep who did this. When he did, he'd make him regret it. He'd thrash that jerk so thoroughly in a duel that the loser would never duel again._

********end flashback******

"Hey Chazz! Hello? Anybody home?"

Chazz abruptly snapped back to reality as a pair of fingers clicked together loudly, right in his face. Jasmine was standing in front of him, snapping her fingers just a few inches from his nose. He looked up, irritated.

"What?!"

"Um, hellooooo! You just started to wander off on your own. We tried calling you but you weren't responding. And you were walking kind of close to that big chasm."

Chazz's angry retort was stopped dead as he had a chance to take in his surroundings. Only a few feet off to his left was a gaping rift in the rocky hillside. From its dark depths issued forth a large quantity of sulfurous gases and fumes, not to mention an uncomfortable amount of intense heat. Shuddering involuntarily, Chazz recoiled in the opposite direction. Then he spotted it: a familiar-looking hem of a ragged black cloak trailing from behind a large boulder. There was also something else. A dark crimson liquid something else. A lot of it. A thin red stream trickled from behind the rock and pooled in a shallow crevice at its base. Jasmine couldn't be allowed to see that; it wasn't something for a lady to see. Thinking fast, Chazz grabbed Jasmine by the arm and hurried her from the immediate vicinity.

Wrenching away, she glared daggers at the black-coated boy: "What is your problem?!"

"Just go get the others. I found him!"

"Why me?"

_God, of all the times to be stubborn! _Chazz thought savagely. What actually emerged from his mouth, however, was an enraged:

"WOMAN! Just do it!"

The obelisk girl double-timed it to retrieve the rest of the gang. When Chazz got angry or excited, he had a tendency to look and sound a little crazy. She wasn't one for taking chances. Chazz slowly retraced his steps to the grisly scene, and gingerly walked to the other side. He found what he expected to find.

Alastair lay in a pool of blood. His usually immaculate outfit was shredded and covered in mud. His face was grimaced in pain, his left hand clutched his chest, from which a steady red stream trickled from slashes to the upper torso. It looked like he had been savaged by some sort of wild animal. His lacerated right arm, still gloved, was stretched out in front of him, as through reaching for something. At his side hung an open card case, from which a deck protruded. All about him, the ground was scorched and blasted, as though fire and explosions had riped though the area. Several cards lay scattered on the ground beside the prone transfer student. Chazz looked around, then bent over for a closer look.

"_**Summoned Skull**__? "_ He shook his head. This guy's deck was a little outdated. He flipped over another card that lay beside it. "_**Wall of Illusion**__? With only 1100 attack and 1850 defense, he won't last long! _Chazz reached for another card and snorted in disgust. "_**Spirit Reaper**__?! What's a weakling like him doing in here?" _

He crouched beside the other boy, shaking his head. This kid claimed he beat Zane. And beat him twice, by the looks of things. How was he able to win with these weaklings and old cards. He (Chazz) had seen Zane play monsters with over 10,000 Attack points. He had never seen Alastair duel, but from the looks of things, he didn't have any monsters in his deck with more than 3000 attack points. _How does a deck like that beat Zane's? He doesn't even have the __**Exodia **__cards._

(Alexis' POV)

Vague twilight and clouds of darkness swirled on every side. The oppressive atmosphere was thick, hard to breathe, heavy with repulsive odors. From every direction, the feeling of peril towards one's very existence. The sounds were a cacophony of shrieks, wails, roars and hissing. Eyes glowed unpleasantly in the mist...

Alexis' thoughts were broken by a shadowy figure which materialized from the darkness spewing from the dark maw in this "alternate reality" in which she seemed to be trapped. The figure was female, and seemed vaguely familiar. Suddenly, and without warning, the shadow made a sweeping gesture towards Alexis. The shadows coiled themselves together and then were shredded by a dreadful apparition. A slavering wolf, with gleaming red eyes and rotting flesh, burst from the black pall that hid it. It stooped and prepared to spring. It bared its teeth and snarled.

Alexis screamed. She tried to run but knew that she had nowhere to go. She was trapped between the barrier and the darkness. She heard an accented voice sneer:

"_**Zombie Werewolf**__! Bring her to me!"_

The monster obeyed, letting out a blood-curling howl. It sprang after the terrified girl and was upon her in seconds. But before it could touch her…

"**Cyber Angel Benten**! ATTACK! Angelic Turn!"

The red and white clad female warrior materialized in front of Alexis. She wore a red sash just below her chest and a traditional headdress, like two white horns. She flipped open her nunchaku-like weapon, revealing two blood red fans, connected by a steel chain. Her eyes glowed green as she launched herself at the werewolf. Like razors, the fans shredded through the wolf's mangy form, which shrieked horribly, then went still. A similar cry of pain erupted from the now retreating female figure. An awful voice followed in her wake.

"_I will return! That girl belongs to me! You have no right to deprive me of what's mine"_

As the shadows dissolved, Alexis turned to see where the other monster had come from. That cyber angel was one of her favorite monsters, but she only used it in an extremely dire emergency. So who sent it?

As if in answer, a brown-cloaked figure emerged from the shadowy fog which bathed most of this world. The newcomer was hooded, with face concealed. On the left arm was a duel disk, but it was not a standard Academy issue. It resembled a blooming rose, the petals connected by twisted branches of thorns. The right hand, a very pale and delicate hand, removed the cards from the disk and replaced them inside of the folds of the cloak. The figure then beckoned for Alexis to follow it. For reasons which even she could not explain, Alexis felt that she could trust this newcomer. She plunged into the haze, following in the stranger's wake.

(The Academy, the nurse's office )

"This is too much!"

Nurse Fontaine was at her wits end. It was bad enough that first Alexis Rhodes had been in her clinic and she couldn't help her. Then the girl had vanished and the room trashed. Now the situation was further complicated by the new transfer student, who lay in an adjoining gurney, more dead than alive. She had finally finished cleaning him up. She was now trying to stitch up the gashes which ran from shoulder to diaphragm. She thought to herself:

_This school doesn't have the facilities to deal with something like this. This is a nurse's office, not a hospital. What if these are only the first of many serious injuries to come? What then? Will we have to close the school?_

A knock on the door disturbed these troubled thoughts. She arose to answer it. It was Mindy. The girl looked concerned about something. But before the nurse could ask any questions, the girl extended her hand. In it was a card, **Jinzo**. Mindy's voice shook slightly:

"I think this belongs-s to Alastair. I-I think he s-sent it. I've been th-thinking over the events of this afternoon and I can't think of any other explanation. It also ties in to what's h-happening to Alexis. But the thought s-scares me. What did he mean by Alastair being a Shadow d-duelist? And wh-what _**are**_ these Shadow duelists, that they can do these terrible things?"

Fonda took the card, promising to return it to its owner. Her brow furrowed in thought. Where had she heard of the Shadow duelists before? _The Shadow duelists and the Shadow games._ Then she remembered. The shadow games had been much talked about in the last generation, especially in connection with the King of Games, Yugi Muto. The source of the power of the Game seemed to emanate from the Millenium Puzzle that he always wore. _Did a Shadow game require a Millenium item? If so, did Alastair have one? If so, it must be confiscated. It was a danger to anyone who dueled with him._

A thought struck her. _If the Shadow duelists can make duel monsters come to life, and make card effects become real, then maybe…_

She didn't know why she did it. Flipping open her own deck, she fished out a card. Looking at it with a mixture of hope and doubt, she approached Alastair's bedside. She took her card, as well as the Jinzo card which she still held, and pressed them into his gloved right hand. Strangely enough, that glove, or gauntlet as it seemed to be, could not be removed. It had even resisted all efforts to cut it off, with the tools breaking and blades snapping off at the slightest contact. As she turned away, her eyes rested on the monitor, which displayed the boy's feeble vital signs. She decided to wait and hope for the best. As she paced the room, she glanced at Alexis, who still tossed and turned in a feverish state. She mused:

_If that __**Dian Keto the Cure Master**__ card can help him, then we may be able to find Alexis. If not, then we'll probably lose her._

(The Shadow Realm)

Alexis finally caught up with her rescuer a short distance later. They had stopped before a simple camp of sorts, surrounded by an energy barrier, a blue sphere. At the center of the camp was a small pedestal, above which hovered a card. This card seemed to be the source of the barrier. It looked familiar, so Alexis ventured to ask:

"Is that…?"

"**Hallowed Life Barrier**!" The stranger finished her sentence for her. Alexis' jaw dropped. She thought frantically: _ What was this, a dream? A nightmare? A world where duel monsters and cards were real and alive?_

"In answer to your unspoken questions: No. This is no dream. It is a terrible and inhospitable reality. And yes. Here, duel monsters are very real."

Alexis felt bewildered. She looked at the stranger, who removed the hood and cloak. What was revealed was a beautiful young woman. The face was extremely pale, but not sickly. Her eyes were like steely-blue chips of ice, hardened by years of suffering, and yet, in their depths could be seen a vast well of sadness. The girl's hair was dark brown, tinted with golden blonde, falling down to her waist. She nodded to Alexis to acknowledge her presence.

Alexis thought to herself:

_I know that face! I've never met this person before, but still I could have sworn she seems familiar._

Aloud, she asked:

"What did you say your name was again?"

The girl smiled, her eyes growing sad:

"I didn't."

The girl paused, and took a deep breath, as though contemplating something. She let it out slowly, then turning to face her guest, stepped into the light.

"My name is Sabrina Leisman. A pleasure to meet you."

* * *

**Sorry for all the mask and mystery in my chapters. I need to be really careful how I develop and reveal each character. This requires a lot of thought on my part. **

**Anyway, please review. I thank those fans who have continued to support me. I hope to have the next chapter ready soon. **


	9. King Dragun

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX or any of its characters. I own my own characters though.

For many of my dueling chapters, I may throw a few Easter eggs into the mix. Can you spot them?

Also please forgive any spelling/punctuation mistakes. I do my own beta-reading, so I do tend to miss things, especially when I'm racing to post a new chapter.

On that note, I present to you..

* * *

**Chapter 8: King Dragun**

Alastair's eyes snapped open and he sat up. The resulting blood rush and accompanying headache caused him to instantly regret it. He clutched his temples and waited for his vision to clear. He was diagnosed years ago as hypoglycemic, and sudden movements after a period of prolonged stillness caused his vision to blur and lose all color. He couldn't help it. Something was wrong. He could feel it. He felt as though he had just heard someone call out for help.

He looked around. He was in the nurse's office at the Academy. So he had made it somehow. It seemed that his desperate attempt to send a message had succeeded. He thought: "_I can't remember how I got here. I must have passed out."_ Then he looked down to see what was in his hand. He held them up: _Duel Monster cards! _He recognized** Jinzo**, it was his own, and he returned it to his deck case, which lay on his bedside table. But where did the **Dian Keto the Cure Master **card come from? It wasn't his copy. Then whose..?

"Oh good! You're awake! How are you feeling?"

Nurse Fontaine appeared at his bedside so fast that he jumped in surprise. She checked his IV drip and the other equipment; everything was functioning perfectly. They showed that he was quite well. Satisfied that his condition was stable for the moment, she frowned and placed her hands on her hips.

"I'm really starting to dread seeing your face. Every time I see you, it means more trouble. I'm mean, what did you get yourself into _this_ time?" Her exasperation showed both through her tense posture and her irate tone. She grabbed the chart from the bed frame and ticked off his injuries. "Severe lacerations, loss of multiple units of blood, internal hemorrhaging, and large areas of the skin exhibiting signs of second degree frostbite. And those were just the major issues." She dropped the clipboard on the table with a clatter. "I'm serious, it's like you're going out of your way to get hurt as much as possible and cause me no end of worry. What's going on?"

Rubbing his bleary eyes, Alastair blinked wearily, "Well, good..." he stole a glance at his watch "..afternoon to you too, Ma'am." He pinched the bridge of his nose, "Do you have anything for a splitting headache, because that's all I can feel right now."

Biting back her initial reaction, the nurse opened a cabinet and fetched a bottle of white pills. Dispensing two into her hand, she brought them to his bed, along with a paper cup filled with water. "Here. These should help."

Sure enough, within a few moments, his strained expression began to relax. He took a calming breath, slowly sat up and opened his eyes.

"Thank you. Now to answer your initial question, despite my tendency to attract trouble, I'm actually not looking for it. And just to put you mind at ease, I'm a lot harder to kill than I look." It didn't sound like false bravado, just a statement of fact.

The nurse sat down beside her patient. "One of the students mentioned that you were.." Fonda took a moment to search for a tactful word, "..different. And I scarcely believed my own eyes when I saw how fast you healed when I put that card to use. It was like a miracle."

Alastair scoffed. "If you consider this _gift_" he spat the word like it was some obscenity, "to be some sort of miracle, be my guest. I'd happily be rid of it. For the past few years it's caused me nothing but misery and pain." He held up the spell card between the fingers of his right hand, glaring like he hoped they would burst into flames.

Fonda looked at the young man with sympathy in her eyes. "So it's true. You really are what they call a 'Shadow Duelist'. You make these card games become real fights to the death."

Alastair averted his gaze. "Please, I really don't want to discuss it now. I'd appreciate it if you don't bring it up again."

"I'm only asking to ensure the safety of your peers and the faculty."

"You're talking about my putting the Rhodes girl in here, aren't you?" He buried his face in his hands and took a moment to get his thoughts together. "I promise you, no one else in this school will be hurt. In fact, I only plan to duel one more time, if all goes according to plan. The last duel I will ever have..."

He locked eyes with the nurse. "But in the meantime, would you please think of me as just another average, male student at the academy. One who is exempted from Dueling: Practical Application class." He glanced at **Dian Keto** in his hand. "This is yours, isn't it?"

Fonda's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected question. For a moment, she was too startled to reply. Then she nodded "A-as a matter of fact, it is." She reached to take the card. Then she looked at him suspiciously: "What made you ask that?"

Alastair grimaced. "Your presence resonates strongly with that card. It is obviously crucial to your deck." Then his eyes hardened again. "Speaking of Alexis, how is she?"

Another pause from the abrupt question. Finally, she answered:

"I was hoping you could tell me."

These words, few that they were, had the effect of a lightning bolt. Alastair's attitude shifted so fast, it was scary. He felt like a dart of poisoned ice were trailing down his back, piercing him the whole time. His breath caught in his throat as it all came back: the "theft", the challenge, the duel… He groaned, wanting nothing better than that the earth just open up right now and swallow him up. All he could think of few those first few minutes was: _This is all my fault..all my fault..all my…_

He jumped out of bed without warning. The equipment which was wired to him ripped off, but he ignored it. He even failed to notice the searing pain in his arm as the IV needle was dragged free, twisting and grating against muscle and nerves as it did. Ignoring the wordless protests of the nurse, he stepped up to the empty bed of the Academy's queen. He looked long and hard, his eyes narrowing as he concentrated. For several minutes, he stood there, motionless. Then he turned to the nurse.

"How long has she been gone?"

"When you went to speak with her, I decided to run down to the cafeteria for my lunch break. When I got back, the room was wrecked and she was missing. You were carried in a few hours later."

Alastair went pale at the news.

"So almost twenty four hours ago..."

Fonda nodded mutely in agreement. Alastair shook his head. The symptoms were too familiar. There wasn't a moment to lose. He grabbed his deck and turned to leave, when he caught sight of the state of his clothes. Large tears mangled the sleeves and body of the coat, and his shirt was missing. Deciding not to ask, he swung the tattered garment over his shoulders and strode to the door, fastening it up to his neck. "I'll be back soon. Please wait here."

As the door closed, Fonda Fontaine was torn between two thoughts: The first was a retort: _What do you think I've been doing? _The other would have been a form of satirical humor, if the situation hadn't been too serious to be funny: _Well, he's back to normal, if you can call it normal._

(Ten minutes later)

Alastair had run from the Academy all the way to the Slifer Red dorm. Without taking the time to pause for breath, he entered his room. Ripping open his bag, he pulled out some replacement clothes: identical to his old outfit, but much more durable. The black coat was replaced with another, sans the silver lining. Quickly throwing them on, he checked his reflection in the mirror. He had lost a great deal of the little color that usually lingered in his face, resulting in an almost deathly pale reflection. He didn't care, he had a job to do; appearance, go to blazes. He was about to leave, when something caught his attention. A familiar presence hung in the air, like an elusive scent. He felt it, analyzed it, tried to identify it. He turned toward where the feeling emanated from. There was nothing out of place there, just the wall. He got up and approached it slowly, scanning the room the whole time. He reached the far side of the room without seeing anything out of the ordinary. But the hidden menace was still here somewhere. It felt stronger than ever at this proximity. Then his eyes widened in realization. It wasn't in here. The presence came from the next room, Jaden's room.

(Next door)

"Hey, Jay! What's wrong? You've been awfully quiet lately."

Syrus' voice snapped the thread of Jaden's thoughts. The Red-coated Slifer lay across his bed, absent-mindedly passing his deck from hand to hand. His eyes popped open and focused on the concerned looking yellow-clad boy who sat across from him. He sat up and smiled ruefully.

"Sorry, Sy. Guess I was out of it for a few minutes."

Jaden got up and began to pace the room.

"Do you want to duel or something?"

A spark of enthusiasm sprang into Jaden's eyes at Syrus' question. He instinctively reached for his duel disk. Then his brain reengaged. Slowly, slowly, his hands came down, dropping to his sides. His face assumed a look of incredible melancholy. He resumed pacing and shook his head.

"Sorry, Syrus! I can't duel right now. I can't focus; there's too much going on. Alexis is still in the hospital and getting worse all the time. We don't even know what's wrong with her. The whole school feels subdued. The students and teachers are all starting to freak out. Alastair himself appears out of nowhere and lands in the hospital as well due to unexplained injuries. What's happening to our school? Furthermore, what did Alastair do to Alexis? People are claiming that it's all his fault that she's like this right now."

"Humph! In a certain respect, they're right."

Jaden and Syrus turned toward that door. That cold voice could only belong to one person on the island. Sure enough, there he was. One difference: they had seen more color in white walls than was in his face, marked in several places by a few scars. Upon closer inspection, his eyes gleamed with barely suppressed fury. He shot a quick glance around the room, his eyes coming to rest on the golden pendant which Jaden wore around his neck. His eyes narrowed.

"Where did you acquire that trinket?"

Jaden looked down at the charm, startled by the odd question. He returned the look:

"I got the first half from a Shadow Game during my first semester. My opponent, the **Grave Keeper** gave me half of this as a sign of my victory. The other half I got from Atticus Rhodes."

"Alexis' older brother..?"

"Yeah, him. You know him?"

The steely eyes swept the room once again.

"Do you have any others? Besides that one?"

Another startled expression.

"Um, yeah! I guess I do. Why?"

"May I see them?"

"Just a sec."

Jaden went over to his junk drawer. Wrenching it open, he pulled out handfuls of the contents within. Out came packs of cards, socks, PDA, and a whole assortment of miscellaneous articles. Finally Jaden called out:

"Found 'em!"

He proceeded to pull out several trinkets of unusual shape. Each was based on the same design concept, featuring a large golden eye. A gold ring, a metal eyepatch, a metal-reinforced gauntlet, a face mask, a headband, and a green-bound book all emerged from the bottom of the drawer. Jaden placed these where they could be seen easily, in a spot on the floor that was free of clutter. Alastair approached them, with caution, it seemed. He examined them closely, a grim look on his face. Then he looked up with a sigh of relief.

"Are these all of them?"

"Uh, let's see…" Jaden ticked off names on his fingers as he muttered to himself. Suddenly he snapped his fingers.

"Wait! There's one missing!"

Alastair's head snapped up and he went rigid.

"Could you describe it?"

Jaden looked thoughtful, trying to recall.

"I seem to remember it being a necklace of some sort…"

Alastair's face went grey, like ashes. He stumbled and had to grasp the edge of the table to keep from falling. When he spoke, it was in a husky voice. It sounded like he was choking. His eyes were shut tight and his breathing came slow and heavy.

"It wasn't like a choker, was it?"

Now it was Jaden's turn to be shocked.

"I couldn't find a better description myself!"

For a moment, Alastair stood without moving. His hands clenched and unclenched. His breathing lowered to deep growl. His head was lowered so that his expression was invisible to the occupants of the room.

Syrus took a step forward, a concerned look on his face.

"Hey, Alastair. What's the matt..?"

Syrus never finished his sentence. Alastair raised his head, and both boys got the shock of their lives. Alastair's face had set in a rigid mask of cold fury. His eyes gleamed with an evil light, a hint of scarlet showing in their depths. He seemed to emanate the feeling in waves; the temperature in the room suddenly felt as though it was dropping. Signaling that they should follow, he turned and stalked from the room. Jaden and Syrus both looked at each other, then run out after him. Just outside the door, he muttered over his shoulder. "Gather the others and meet me at the Nurse's office."

Alastair arrived at the Academy in minutes. He found his way clear; no one dared to get in his way. In fact, almost everyone who saw him retreated into the nearest classroom or flattened themselves against the walls. He walked the now familiar route to the infirmary. Turning the last corner, he stopped. Standing in front of the office door, blocking it, was another boy in a black coat. Wild, black hair, black pants, black shirt…Then a familiar voice called out:

"Hold it, Slifer!"

Alastair looked up. It was Chazz Princeton, a sneer of disdain on his haughty features. On his arm he wore an Academy issue duel disk. He reached for his cards and slipped them into place. Then his eyes narrowed and he squared off with Alastair.

"You've done enough! I won't let you get near Alexis again!"

Alastair's voice was ice-cold.

"Chazz.. I advise you to move!"

"Like hell I will! It's all your fault she's like this now. If you want to get near her, you have to go thorough me first!"

Azure eyes narrowed. "Alexis is gone, Princeton."

"Gone? What're you babbling about?"

"Oh, did you not get the memo? Or did Professor Fontaine not mention it. She's missing."

The black-haired boy stopped short at that. This was an unexpected development and his stalled brain worked frantically to restart and develope a comeback, but for the moment everything was locked up. Alastair took advantage of the momentary silence to try and reason with him.

"I'll admit that I'm at fault for weakening her like this to begin with. But now she's in danger, and if we don't hurry, we're going to lose her forever. Is that what you want?"

Chazz shook his head in denial. _This can't be...Alexis, where are you.._ "Do you know where she is?" His head was tilted down so the upper portion of his face was concealed by his hair. The boy opposite shook his head.

"I'm still trying to track her down. But I know she's not far..."

_**"Then you are no longer necessary!"**_

Chazz's eyes looked somewhat demented as he cried those last words. It was his excited look. He took dueling very seriously, and was feared by many for his aggressive, merciless tactics. He had even been considered by some to be the next Zane Truesdale, in terms of talent. He certainly was not intimidated by the boy who stood before him.

The students who were watching the argument were pushed aside from two directions at once. From behind Alastair emerged the team, Bastion, Jaden, Syrus, Hassleberry, Mindy and Jasmine. The door behind Chazz opened as the nurse stepped out to investigate the ruckus. But no one dared interrupt this standoff. Except..

"Chazz, please, what are you doing?" Mindy stepped forward trying to reason with the crazed youth. The answer she got was a look of hunger, malice, promising a swift death. Something gleamed eerily in those eyes. Something inhuman, something..

"Get back!"

Alastair grabbed her by the collar and pulled her away just a Chazz snarled and jumped at her like a rabid animal. He placed himself between the two like a shield and lashed out at the Princeton boy who recoiled. Following up on his attack, Alastair grabbed Chazz by his lapels and looked him square in the eye. His next remark caught everyone off guard. Cunningham's expression changed from an angry scowl to a predatory smirk.

"Ah, I've found you."

The lights dimmed as Chazz' outline began to shimmer. His features still twisted like a savage beast, but there was something else there too, a shadow that flickered and blurred. He crouched in preparation for another attack. His adversary responded by drawing the gauntlet from him right hand and throwing it down on the floor before him. Wild eyes glanced at the glove, then back up at him. _What was he..?_

Calmly opening the case at his hip, Alastair removed his deck. He looked at it with an expression of intense longing, then pressed it to his lips. Those who looked carefully could see a tear fall. A murmur arose from the crowd at this unexpected display of emotion. Those who had been on the verge of retreating now pressed forward. The opportunity of seeing Alastair's first public duel held them spellbound. They couldn't wait to see the exhibition of the talent which had thrashed both Alexis and (it was rumored) Zane. Ignoring this, he slipped the cards into place, and activated his duel disk. His life points shot up to 4000.

Chazz was momentarily caught off guard. _What are you playing at?_

"Come now, I know you're smarter than this. There are civilians present. Let us settle this affair cleanly, without collateral damage." Alastair's voice shivered through the air.

The Princeton boy's dark eyes took in the crowd, but ultimately did the same. The crowds had already moved back a respectable distance, seeing the unnatural phenomenon going on before them, and shuffled to ensure that they weren't in the line of fire. For a moment, the two boys glared daggers at each other, then, without warning…

"DUEL!"

Both boys yelled the familiar phrase in unison. Each drew five cards. Alastair nodded coldly to Chazz, who returned the look, and drew a sixth card. His voice rasped harshly.

"Then, I'll go first! I play **Luster Dragon (1900/1600)** in Attack Mode!"

The powerful blue dragon appeared, extending its wings with a loud roar. It settled down in front of Chazz, eyes fixed on Alastair, who smirked.

"But wait! It gets better! I play the **Mountain** Field Spell card. And as long as this card remains on the field, **the Attack and Defense of all Dragon, Winged Beast, and Thunder-Type monster is increased by 200 points!**

**Luster Dragon**'s stats increased to **2100/1800**. Still Alastair looked completely unconcerned. Chazz continued:

"I'll play a facedown to end my turn."

Alastair seemed to be more impatient than anything. He reached for and drew a card. Shuffling it, he scanned his new hand. Then he locked eyes with Chazz. He pointed to him with his right hand, which still grasped his cards.

"This is your last chance. Surrender to me now, and maybe I'll forgive you. If not, I can't be responsible for what happens."

"You trying to back out of our duel?" Chazz's eyes showed no sign of relenting.

Alastair bit his lower lip in frustration at the impossible situation.

"Then I will use this marvelous opportunity to my advantage. I need an good duel to warm up before dealing with you. You should prove to be formidable enough to get the job done!"

Glancing at the duel field, he scanned the cards in his hand, then made a quick decision.

"I play the spell card **Heavy Storm**. This destroys all spell and trap cards on the field! This includes your **Mountain** card."

Chazz's eyes hardened as **Luster Drago**n's stats returned to **1900/1600. **His facedown card, **Call of the Haunted**, went to the graveyard as well; an irritating loss. Alastair continued:

"I play a monster in face down defensive position, and set two facedown cards. That concludes my turn."

Chazz's hard expression changed to one of triumph. He drew another card, hardly able to contain himself.

"Then you're done! I sacrifice** Luster Dragon** in order to summon **Armed Dragon Level 5**** (2400/1700)!**"

**Luster Dragon** disappeared in a flash of light. A portal of energy materialized where it had been. The crowd gasped as the massive red dragon rose from it, appearing on the field. On its back and chest was a heavy black shell, bristling with spikes. Its arms and legs were similarly equipped. In its taloned hand, it bore a massive spiked club. It braced itself in an aggressive attack stance.

"Now, say goodbye! I attack your facedown monster! Go, **Armed Dragon Level 5**: Inferno Roar!"

Taking a deep breath, Chazz's monster let loose an incinerating cone of fiery destruction. An explosion occurred on impact. When the smoke cleared, it revealed Alastair standing unphased. In fact, he was laughing. Hovering in midair before him was a weak-looking, purple-clad spectre. Its skull like face grinned maliciously at Chazz. In its bony hands, it held a large scythe across its robed body, defending itself from damage. Chazz's eyes widened.

"_WHAT!"_

Alastair continued to laugh. Finally, he composed himself. Sneering at his opponent, he said:

"My apologies! **Spirit Reaper** **(300/200) **may not be as strong as your Armed Dragons, but it's in my deck for a reason. **Spirit Reaper **here tells me that you audaciously called it a weakling. Then check out its special ability! **It cannot be destroyed** **as a result of battle**! How's that for weak!"

A murmur of approval ran through the crowd as these words. Chazz looked around, grinding his teeth. Mindy, Jasmine, Jaden, Syrus, Bastion and Tyranno had all watched closely; the two girls looked terribly fearful about Alastair. He turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

"A slight disruption, nothing more. I'll play a facedown to end my turn."

"Then say goodbye yourself!"

Alastair whipped the top card from his deck, adding it to his hand.

"I sacrifice my **Spirit Reaper **in order to summon **Cyber-Tech Alligator (2500/1600) **in Attack Mode. Unlike his predecessor, he actually has enough power to eliminate your **Armed Dragon Level 5**!"

A massive green lizard materialized where Spirit Reaper had floated seconds before. It was a powerhouse of technology. Its right arm and left leg had been replaced with mechanical enhancements. On its chest, life support equipment gleamed. Its eyes were covered with a mask, complete with electronic targeting systems. Before the student body could see much more, the monster disappeared. A gaping hole appeared beneath its feet, swallowing it up. Alastair glared at Chazz, who popped a card into his graveyard. He snickered as he said:

"Sorry, my little friend! Thanks to my facedown trap, **Bottomless Trap Hole**, **if you summon a monster which has more than 1500 Attack points, I can destroy it and remove it from the game**!"

Alastair exhaled sharply through his nose in disgust. Then he glanced at the cards remaining in his hand. Removing **Cyber-Tech Alligator **from the duel disk, he slipped it into his card case. Then he slipped a card into the disk.

"Then I'll activate a facedown of my own: the continuous trap card **Gravity Bind**! Thanks to this card's effect, **no monster which is Level 4 or higher can attack **as long as it remains on the field! That'll wipe the smirk off your face."

Sure enough, Chazz stopped laughing. His jaw set tight as he saw the card on his opponent's field. Then he sneered.

"You wish, loser! It's just a matter of time before I destroy that card, then you'll regret it."

"We'll cross that hurdle when we get there. I place another card facedown."

"Then it's my turn. I'll draw!"

Scanning his cards, an evil grin came over the black-haired boy's face. He slapped a card down on his field.

"I play the spell card **Level Up**! With this card, I send **one face up monster with Level in its name to the Graveyard in order to Special Summon a monster from my hand or Deck whose name is on the text of the sent card**. I'm sure you know who's coming out. It's my all-powerful **Armed Dragon Level 7 (2800/1000)!**

Towering over the field, the massive scaled drake stood tall on its hind legs. It was still slightly hunchbacked, a sign of immaturity, but there was no doubt: it was a far more powerful version of the monster which it had just replaced. It had discarded the spiked bludgeon. Instead, each of its fingers were equipped with a six inch long steel talon. The students gasped; Alastair, on the other hand, rolled his eyes.

"I've yet to be impressed."

The crowd looked at Alastair as though he had gone nuts. That was no reasonable response to being face-to-face with something that fierce. Their attention was diverted, however, by Chazz's retort.

"Then get this. I summon** Twin-Headed Behemoth (1500/1200)** in Attack Mode! That'll have to do."

Alastair drew a card. Then he selected one, placing it on his disk, he said:

"I summon **Reflect Bounder (1700/1000) **in Attack mode! That's all."

A clown-like figure appeared before him. Its face had been replaced by a mirror. Various other reflective surfaces dotted its entire body.

"That's all?! This'll be easier than I thought. But first I'll draw a card."

Chazz's grin became maniacal. He held up a card.

"Just what I needed! I play the Spell card **Mystical Space Typhoon**. I can use this card to **destroy one Spell or trap card on the field**. And I choose your **Gravity Bind** trap card!

Alastair unconcernedly put up an arm to shield his face as his face-up card exploded.

But before I attack you, I'll activate **Armed Dragon Level 7**'s Special ability. It allows me to **discard one monster from my hand and destroy all monsters on the field with Attack points equal to or less than those of the discarded monster.** And since the monster that I have in my hand has 3000 Attack points, say bye-bye to your** Reflect Bounder**! Go **Armed Dragon Level 7**: Serrated Sonic Disks!"

Alastair braced himself as the massive dragon on the other boy's field powered up a massive wave of energy. When the power reached its peak, the ball was released, scattering into arcs of blindingly fast projectiles. They impacted with Alastair's field, shattering his only monster to bits. The crowd held its collective breath. If Chazz attacked now, Alastair would be finished. He didn't have enough life points to withstand all 4300 points of damage which his opponent was, at this point, capable of inflicting.

Chazz gestured toward his opponent with his right arm, his voice rising triumphantly:

"Now **Armed Dragon Level 7**: attack directly with Dragon-Taloned Terror!"

In response, the massive beast raised its right arm. Each of its massive claws gleamed bright in the sunlight coming in from the windows. Then it brought its arm down with a massive sweep..

An explosion followed. Everyone present was set coughing. The entire battle field was covered in smoke. When the haze cleared, Alastair still stood there. His life points still stood at 4000! Even more incredible, all of Chazz's monsters were gone. Then, the cause was revealed: the upright trap card on Alastair's field. It was one which was familiar to many of the students: **Mirror Force**.

Slipping it into his graveyard, Alastair clicked his tongue disapprovingly. He shook his head at his opponent's fury.

"That was careless. You know that if** Mirror Force **is activated, **all of your attack position monsters are instantly destroyed**. What will you do now? And it looks like you're running short on cards in your hand."

Chazz looked down. Sure enough, his hand was empty, as was his field. He had allowed himself to be top-decked, an unforgivable mistake. But his face brightened. He pointed jeeringly at Alastair.

"You're one to talk. You've got nothing on your field either."

Alastair held up the single card in his hand. Waving it tauntingly at his opponent, he grinned:

"Ah, but at least I have a card in hand. And now I get to draw another..Perfect. I activate my facedown card: **Call of the Haunted**. With this trap card, I can bring a monster back to the field from my graveyard. I chose **Spirit Reaper**."

"Him?! Why would you pick him? It's the weakest monster in your Graveyard."

"Mostly to get a rise out of you. But regardless, I'll call it a turn"

Chazz drew a card, but it was an unconscious reflex. He was too busy bad-mouthing his opponent to pay attention.

"What an idiot! You didn't attack?! That was your last chance!"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because it's my draw, you Slacker! I play the spell card: **Pot of Greed**! It lets me draw two cards from my deck. Now I play the spell card **Level Modulation**! It's unfortunate side effect **allows you to draw two cards**."

Alastair complied. "Thank you."

"Don't be thanking me just yet. Now the other effect of my spell card activates. I can **summon a monster from my graveyard which has "Level" in its name, ignoring the summoning conditions**!"

"And that means..?"

"It means that you're toast! I summon forth my ultimate **Armed Dragon Level 10 (3000/2000)**!"

Alastair rolled his eyes again. The remaining student body shrank back from the fearsome monster. The last time that Chazz had played this fearsome beast, he was defeating Alexis in the duel which brainwashed her into joining the Society of Light. Standing a good thirty feet high, clad in steel and bristling with spines, it was not a pretty picture. It reared up high on its hind legs, standing proud. It let out a ferocious roar. This was getting serious, Chazz was pulling out his strongest monster. The awed silence was broken by a cynical hiss from Alastair, positively dripping with sarcasm.

"I should have saved myself some time and just punched you in the face! I'm guessing you sent him to the graveyard when you destroyed my **Reflect Bounder**."

Chazz glared at his opponent. _Dammit, does this boy care about anything?_

"That's right. But, fortunately for you, **Level Modulation** doesn't allow me to do anything with my monster this turn, but just you wait until next turn. You'll be sorry then! So I'll be ending my turn here! Good luck slithering out of this mess!"

Alastair drew another card and added it to his hand, for a total of five. He looked up with a grin of pure malice. Mindy and Jasmine stepped back; they had seen him like this before, and it was not pretty. They weren't the only ones who did so, however. The darkness which had permeated the hallway now engulfed the duel field. Wait, was Alastair...chuckling?

"I thank you for the marvelous duel! My skills are almost fully unsealed. All I have to do is complete this duel, and then I'll be strong enough to save Alexis. But first things first! I play **Fusion Sage**! This spell card enables me to pull a **Polymerization** spell card from my deck and add it right to my hand. I then shuffle my deck. Now I'll tribute **Spirit Reaper **again, but this time, I summon **Jinzo (2400/1500)**.

"A pathetic waste of effort! He's still not powerful enough to destroy my **Armed Dragon Level 10**."

"He doesn't have to, thanks to my **Polymerization **spell card! With it, I can summon another monster to the field, one powerful enough to destroy your Armed Dragon! I fuse together the **Summoned Skull (2500/1200) **and my **The Dark-Hex-Sealed Fusion (1000/1600) **straight from my hand. My **Summoned Skull** may be outdated, but it will enable me to destroy you. And thanks to my other monster's special effect, I don't need to have my **Red-Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000). **I can use this as a substitute fusion monster!"

The two cards vanished from his hand in a flash of unholy light. They spiraled together and merged, impacting into the ground. The school began to shake and the darkness grew. A vortex of shadow materialized on the field. From it, a zombie-like monstrosity began to emerge.

"Now behold! My ultimate monster: the mighty **Black-Skull Dragon**!"

Standing taller than Chazz's **Armed Dragon Level 10**, it certainly was intimidating to say the least. Its face was actually a skull, crowned with two massive demon horns. A pair fifteen-foot wings folded bat-like behind it. Its ribs did little to hide its exposed internal organs, something many of the girls couldn't watch. It wielded a series of nasty-looking talons on its hands and feet, rivaling those of Chazz's dragon. Even Chazz, trying to act calm, was still taken aback. Then he looked at the newcomer's stats. His eyes went wide: _**3200 Attack points and 2500 defense?!**_

Submerged in shadow up to his waist, Alastair was not a pretty picture either, especially with the merciless, rigid set of his face. His mouth hinted of a smile, one which boded no good for its target. Mindy and Jasmine forced themselves to watch; they wanted to understand where these strange powers came from. Besides, he claimed that he would save Alexis after this duel, and that these powers were the key. Watch and wait.

"Are you impressed? Because I'm not done. I have one card left to play, and it's my favorite; a spell card: **Autonomous Action Unit**!"

Jasmine moaned: "That's the card that he used to destroy Alexis. He used it to…"

"By paying 1500 Life points, I can activate this. I can now summon a monster from your graveyard to my side of the field, in Attack Mode!"

Chazz stepped back.

"_**What?! **__Wait just a second!"_

There was no pity in the other boy's tone.

"I don't have a second. I've wasted time enough with this duel, and Alexis is still in danger. This duel ends **NOW**!

With a sweep of his arm in Chazz's direction, Alastair's voice rose to become a thunderous voice of command.

"I choose your **Armed Dragon Level 7**! _Now, __**hand it over!**_"

A flash of light emerged from Chazz's graveyard, flying toward Alastair. Impacting on his side of the field, it spawned the monster in question. It leered at its old master, ready to pounce on command. Meanwhile, **Jinzo** stood silently, arms crossed before it, waiting for orders. The students all looked at Alastair, waiting for the fatal words. They were not long in coming.

"Now, to business! **Black-Skull Dragon**, attack **Armed Dragon Level 10 **with Doomsday Flare!"

On command, the beast opened its mouth. A sphere of dark energy began to gather in front of its face. It inhaled, then belched it forth. The dark meteor struck home. Chazz's monster gave a roar of agony before being consumed by the darkness. Meanwhile, the shadows had converged into a portal, glowing eerily behind the Princeton boy. Chazz yelled in pain as he lost 200 life points.

"Now, **Jinzo**, your turn! Attack him directly with Shadow Voltage!"

The mechanized nightmare raised its hands, collecting static energy. Tendrils of darkness mixed with the fatal shockwave, it unleashed electric death at its target. Chazz writhed as he was zapped, hard, losing another 2400 points. He picked himself back up from where he had fallen, clutching his arm. It hung useless at his side. He braced himself for the finale. With only 1400 Life Points remaining, this was the end. The fatal voice echoed from the figure now barely discernable behind the dark mist which seemed to be consuming him, murmering a quiet incantation under his breath.

_O blade master and conqueror of fear..Even from the grave, thy blade still reigns..._

Thus fortified, he brought his final attack to bear on his opponent.

"Lastly, **Armed Dragon Level 7**: Dragon Taloned Terror!"

The talons swept up, then down. Chazz gave a scream of agony, then collapsed in a heap, bruised and battered. Alastair leapt forward and thrust his arm through the now collapsing portal. His eyes met Jaden's. The latter and his companions seemed reluctant to accompany him into the unknown.

"Let's go! We have to move if you want to save Alexis! Otherwise she's gone, forever!"

That spurred them into action. The group ran forward and jumped through the pulsating gateway. Alastair paused only long enough to catch Fonda's attention. He gestured towards Chazz' prone form.

"He's just knocked out. He'll be fine with some rest."

Her protests were cut off as he threw himself through the entranceway, which vanished into thin air. He looked around at the dreadful scenery, taking a moment to get his bearings. The others had gotten to their feet and were huddled around him for safety. Syrus took the initiative and vocalised the question on everyone's mind.

"Where are we?"

A bitter laugh was his answer from the black-coated boy. "Welcome to hell, also known as the Shadow Realm."

* * *

Yay! Another dueling chapter. This was a hard chapter to write. I wanted to do justice to the Armed Dragon Deck; It can be quite powerful. I introduced more of Alastair's deck as well. If I get enough requests, I may eventually release a chapter which lists the entire contents of the deck.

**Author's Note: **One thing which I try to stick with in my decks is to keep my cards reasonably powerful without going into overkill. I have read many fanfics in which people utilize decks which feature powerful cards such as **Chaos Emperor Dragon- Envoy of the End **and **Black Luster Soldier- Envoy of the Beginning**. I recently read a few fics in which the hero/heroine utilized the ancient Egyptian God cards (**Slifer, the Sky Dragon; Ra, the Winged Gardian; and Obelisk, the Tormentor**). Don't get me wrong. I have a great deal of respect for all of those cards, having seen their power in action. But I try to be practical about my deck construction. I try to use cards which are all tournament-legal. Also, the cards in my deck are, for the most part, fairly common. Most of them are easy to find/acquire. The deck moves fast and pulls out powerful monsters quickly. And the look on your opponent's face when you beat them with their best monster...priceless.

Anyway, please review. Sorry about the lack of dueling chapters in this fic. With each one, I try to give it my best, so I can't just slap it together at the last second. It requires a great deal of planning and organization.

Did you find my little Easter egg? I give a nod to a great tactical RPG in this chapter. Cyber cookies to the one who spots it.


	10. Aria From Beyond

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu Gi Oh! GX. I only possess the ownership of my own characters.

**Chapter 9: Aria From Beyond**

"Are you saying that Duel Monsters actually exist in this dimension?"

Bastion's sudden question broke the spell of silence which fell following Alastair's revelation of their current position. The curiosity was replaced by a natural sense of dread. Jaden was more than a little alarmed; he recalled an old nightmare: a monster which he defeated suddenly rose up again to transform into a mighty **Blue- Eyes Ultimate Dragon**. He found himself thinking _What if one of those shows up?!_

Alastair's answer was not at all one which would inspire confidence in a faint-hearted traveler.

"Actually, this is where they originated from. The cards which we duel with are merely acting to channel the energy form that they normally exist in. Without being able to access that energy, the cards would be worthless. Makes you take the game much more seriously, doesn't it?"

He looked back at the group with a mixture of pity and regret, thinking to himself:

_How I miss the good old days, when I was as innocent a duelist as them, and had no knowledge of this realm. Now, this place is far more suitable for me than the other world._

Then he continued aloud:

"This is no place for the faint of heart. If you have any doubts or misgivings about your choice to come with me, tell me now. The offer is one-time only!"

Nobody moved. Nobody spoke.

Sighing, he crossed his arms and surveyed his surroundings. The swirling gloom was much deeper and darker than the last time he came here. There was evil loose somewhere. Turning back to the group, his face took on a look of deadly seriousness.

"I take it by your silence that you all wish to continue. Very well! Now then, to ensure that we aren't sticking our necks out needlessly, you all need to know how to defend yourselves around here."

Drawing his deck, he indicated that everyone else do the same.

"This is your life's blood in this realm. The instant that you fail to respect these, you die, plain and simple."

A short pause followed while he let the effect of his words sink in. Then he proceeded to explain things in more detail:

"You will encounter monster here which are familiar with from the game of Duel Monsters. As I said before, this is their source. Your protection and your very lives may count on your ability to summon your own guardians. You summon monsters in just the same manner as you would while dueling. On that note, make sure that your duel disks are out and ready at all times. But be warned: there is no frivolous dueling in this place. Traps and spells, as well as monster attacks, can be directed at friend and foe alike. So no joking around!"

"Can we share monsters and other cards?" Syrus asked.

"Not a good idea with monsters. You may order your own monster to defend your friends, but it is unwise to attempt to summon another's monster, or order them to attack. A monster has loyalty to its true owner, and very seldom will it submit to any other. That is why altering your decks is such a serious matter. Your monsters are your friends and will gladly defend their masters to the death, regardless of how weak or strong they are."

Mindy raised her hand tentatively, "Can't we just rely on you to protect us..?"

In reply, Alastair pointed to her "One.."

Then at Syrus "..Two"

Tyranno "…Three.."

Jasmine "..Four"

Bastion "..Five"

And finally at Jaden "..and six."

He directed to himself, "How many of me do you see? I can't be everywhere at once. And if you don't have what it takes to keep yourself protected here.."

Alastair would have continued, but for a loud howl close at hand. His glare returned and his head snapped in the direction of the sound. He held his deck ready in his left hand, while his right was raised, ready for instant action. He moved forward slowly, gesturing for total silence.

All of a sudden, a massive werewolf lunged out of the shadows. Its target: Alastair. He turned so fast it was just a blur. He saw it coming, and reached for his deck. His hand never completed the trip. Out of nowhere, a massive grasshopper armed with a broadsword and buckler materialized before him. It swept the frothing monstrosity clear out of the way. The wolf collapsed, cut nearly in half.

Alastair looked over at the group. Bastion was standing at the forefront of the group, his duel disk held before him. Alastair nodded approvingly at the sight of **Insect Knight** **(1900/1500)** face up on the silvery-white surface. He smiled ruefully.

"Well, at least one of you learns quickly. Thanks."

His words were broken off by a scream from the girls. The wolf, as mortally wounded as it looked, was picking itself up. To make matters worse, it seemed as though it was even more powerful than before. Alastair snapped his fingers at Bastion to get his attention.

"Quickly! Trap Card! Immobilize it!"

Bastion nodded:

"I have just the one right here."

The wolf sprang upright again. It howled in fury, then braced itself for another spring. That spring never came, because..

"Activate Trap: **Spellbinding Circle! **"

Bastion's voice echoed loudly in the clearing in which they stood. All at once, a magical glyph appeared under the wolf's feet. A glowing rune appeared over its head and seemed to lock it in place; at least, its body went completely rigid. Alastair waved his arm to get everyone's attention.

"Let's go!"

With the others in tow, he plunged into the black fog which surrounded them. He seemed to know where he was going. At least, they hoped that he did. They certainly had no clue. One thing was an undeniable fact, he could move quickly, even in this haze. The others were hard pressed to keep up. When he finally stopped to let them rest, they were completely bushed. Exhaustion apparently did not keep Tyranno from asking the question which was in everyone's mind:

"What in tarnation was that thing?!"

Alastair did not reply for a moment. When he did, it was in a voice which was filled with revulsion:

"It was a **Zombie Werewolf**. It is one of the most dangerous inhabitants of these parts. They may start out weak, but they cannot be killed, and trying to do so just makes the situation worse. They revive into a more powerful version of their former selves, with stronger attacks. Hopefully, we won't run into any more."

He paced back and forth.

"I hope that you were all watching how Bastion handled that situation. The monster was successfully summoned and the trap masterfully deployed. Excellent selection, perfect for the situation. Remember, this is real, so protect your life points with all your might. People don't just get back up around here when those hit 0!"

(The Shadow Realm: location unknown)

The black and scarlet-clad woman looked on through the enchanted portal at the drama which was unfolding. She turned away with a small sigh; the portal vanishing without a trace. It was disappointing that her servant had failed to complete its mission, but there was a silver lining. She now knew the location of her target. Most importantly, he had brought friends with him. How delightful! Her face was shrouded in shadow, owning to a veil which she wore to cover her hair. That did not hide the malicious smile from curving the ruby-red lips. "_This will be fun" _she thought to herself.

At a thought from her, the door on the opposite end of the throne room opened. Two figures entered, both wearing identical dark-brown robes, complete with hoods, which concealed the upper halves of their faces. The casual observer would note that both wore identical necklaces; a gold chain from which hung a scarlet gemstone. The two attendants approached the stone steps where their mistress stood and bowed low. Their actions were so in unison that one would think that they shared one mind. They spoke as one:

"_What is your desire, mistress?"_

The regal figure seated herself on the gruesome throne atop the raised platform at the top of the stairs. She smiled as she regarded her two loyal followers. They obeyed without question. And their dueling skills were next to none, as far as she had seen. Rousing herself, she addressed the mute figures before her. They stood as still as statues as their mistress proceeded.

"It is time to invite our long-awaited guest. He is to be received with all due hospitality; including," she added with a cackle, "a free entrance pass to a dueling tournament in his honor. He should find that most enjoyable."

Another low bow.

"_It shall be done."_

The two servants exited by means of the same door through which they had entered. After their departure, the woman remained seated and gave herself up to her own thoughts.

_Oh, it will not be long now, _she smiled to herself._ Oh no! Not long at all!_

Her forefinger, absentmindedly stroking her lips, came down to rest on the choker around her neck. The gold gleamed brightly, despite the dim candlelight in the room. The large eye, engraved on the front, began to glow softly. Her smile widened, revealing two long gleaming fangs.

**A short chapter, I know. But that's the point. I wanted to introduce a few new characters without spoiling anything. I think I did so pretty well. But, you are the audience. Your opinion is very important to me as well. Please be patient; there are plenty of duels to come in the next few chapters.**

**Please review. Your last few have been most encouraging and I couldn't wait to upload this chapter. I hope that the story hasn't gotten too confusing for anyone. But still, everyone like being surprised by a little mystery, right? **


	11. Reinforcements for the Army

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX. I do not make any sort of profit from this undertaking.**

**Chapter 10: Reinforcements for the Army**

"Are you sure you know where you're going?"

Alastair rolled his eyes at Jaden's question. He was feeling a little disoriented, and the mad dash to get away from the last monster hadn't helped the situation. Alastair couldn't help it. The Shadow Realm was a constantly changing locale, with no landmarks. It was like blundering about in a fog, knowing your way only by the feel of the terrain. One could wander about for days in this mess and not realize that they were going in circles.

Meanwhile, the seeming inability of their guide to lead them effectively was beginning to tell on the group. They were tired and wanted to rest, despite Alastair's insistence that they keep moving. They couldn't help it, and to be truly honest, Alastair couldn't blame them. There was an aura in the very existence of this place, like a black hole, which sucked away all hope and desire to live if one remained for too long. It took time to get used to this feeling. The early symptoms were apathy and dejection, eventually becoming a permanent coma…

"Like Alexis!" Alastair muttered to himself.

He turned and saw that everyone else was lagging behind. He shrugged, resigning himself to the inevitable. He almost wished that he had come alone; it would have saved him a lot of trouble. But fresh in his mind were the injuries which he had sustained on his last trip. He had several spare pairs of eyes to keep a lookout, at least. Also, they served as company, poor ones, but company all the same. It helped to ward off the feel of this nightmarish place for a little while.

Plopping himself down, he beckoned to the others.

"We'll take five."

It was a sign as to how tired they all were that they didn't reply. They just dragged themselves over and flopped on the ground around him. Within minutes, they were sound asleep. Not particularly tired himself, and because of the ever-present danger, Alastair remained awake. His eyes scanned the gloom for any sign of movement. His other senses were also alert; more so than when he was moving. Now that he had no distractions, he was able to focus on something that had been bothering him for some time. He had felt something out there somewhere, a presence. It felt neither benevolent nor evil; it was just there, nagging at him. He resisted the temptation to go investigate; someone had to stay here and keep watch. _Man this was_ _going to be tough!_

(Over an hour later)

_This is getting to be intolerable!_

Alastair paced back and forth, continually trying to see beyond the gloom which stood between him and his planned destination. It was all he could do to maintain this post. He had to know what was out there. There was some sign of life in that direction, he was sure of it. All he needed was a relief worker for this "babysitting job", and he could go…

"Couldn't sleep, huh?"

Alastair's head turned. Jaden was sitting up, a bemused expression on his face. Alastair sighed in relief. Shaking his head in answer, he turned back to the other direction, crossing his arms. Jaden yawned and stretched, then got up and came over. Looking into the fog, he tried to follow Alastair's gaze. Not seeing anything, he turned to the other.

"Is something wrong?"

Alastair continued to peer into the haze.

"There's something out there. I can feel it…"

"Oh, don't get me wrong" he corrected quickly as Jaden's hand flew to his deck. Smirking at the other's eagerness, he finally relaxed. Turning to Jaden, he said:

"I'm going to do a quick rendezvous in that direction. I couldn't leave with no one to watch the others. Now that you're awake, could you take over?"

Jaden nodded eagerly.

"Sure! How long'll you be?"

Alastair's brow furrowed in thought.

"Hard to say. I can't get a distance on this thing. But I shouldn't be gone for more than twenty minutes. I won't let myself be longer than that. You know the drill if anything shows up."

Jaden equipped his duel disk and activated it. Slipping his cards into position, he nodded to indicate that he was ready. Alastair gathered his coat and deck, then set off. As he disappeared into the swirling clouds, he glanced back. Jaden was staring after him. Smiling to himself, he turned and plunged into the gloom.

Five minutes brisk walking brought him to his destination. He found the remains of a campsite, if it could be called that. It looked more like a war zone. Blasts and charred craters littered the entire area. A terrible fight had taken place here; that much was obvious. _ "But who, and with whom?",_he mused to himself. The campsite was obviously the work of humans. A woman's neat touch was also apparent. _Interesting._

Glancing around for more clues, he came upon a pedestal of some sorts; at least, that's what it looked like. It had been almost completely obliterated by an explosion; only a charred skeletal frame remained. _Why is this here? _Monster corpses littered the surrounding area as well. _ Whoever had been here had made a valiant stand. So where were they? _

An idea struck him. Approaching the pedestal's remains, he paused and examined the area more closely. The charred remains of something remained tangled in the twisted frame. Whatever had been here had been completely incinerated, except this fragment. He reached for it; but stopped halfway. It was a card, possibly a Duel Monsters card. _What the..? _He picked the remains out of the ruin, holding it by the one corner which remained intact. He examined it carefully. _A trap card! _Squinting in the dim light, he attempted to make it out. _No good. There's not enough left to identify._ He was about to toss it away, when he realized something. A surge of emotion was filling him that was not his own, and completely unrelated to his current situation. He felt tense, alert and ready for action. All he was doing was examining the ruins of a shelter. "_So why_,…"

His gaze fell on the fragment that he still held in his hand. _Was that the source?_ _Maybe, if I focus, I can get a feel for what happened here._

He closed his eyes and breathed slowly, almost as though meditating. Suddenly his eyes flew open, a look of shock on his face. He could feel a flood of memories coming on. They were not going to be pleasant, that was for sure. Bracing himself for an ordeal, he focused again, concentrating…

"_Watch out! They're coming again…How many are there?!...We can't hold them much longer…The barrier, it's fading…Look out! She's here!..._(a pause)…_**Behind you!**_...(a confused mix of shrieks and roars, nearly drowned by the continued explosions)…_**No!**__..._(a gasp of pain)…_I-I cannot hold out any longer….__**No! Stay away from me, you witch!...Nooooooooo!**_

The memories faded away with that last despairing scream. Alastair forced himself to recall them, every last detail. _Two people had been here, one of them confirmed as a young female…They were attacked in far superior numbers… _Someone else had been here as well, a leader for the attacking party. Apparently, the victorious group had withdrawn upon the victory, but where? They were headed by another woman, that was obvious; and evidently one who possessed great power. So where did they go? And, were there any survivors..?

His train of thought was abruptly derailed by another sound. This was not a memory, or even a vivid dream. It was real. And it came from the direction that he had just left…

"Hey! Who's there?"

Jaden's voice rang through the clouds. Alastair stiffened, awaiting developments. They came fast, much faster than he had anticipated:

"I said who's there?"

(No answer)

"Hey, watch where you point that Duel disk! It's not safe. I said watch it!"

"_**Jaden! Watch your back!**_"

"Wha..?!"

Alastair started to run back. This was not good. That last cry was obviously Jasmine, and it sounded panicky. If they were ambushed by monsters, how long could they last…

"_**Spellbinding Circle!**_"

Alastair skidded to a halt as two cold voices cried out the word simultaneously. A glow of light appeared in the distance, confirming the location of the sounds. There was a scream from Mindy and a muffled cry from Syrus. Then silence. Absolute, dead silence…

Alastair broke into a sprint. _How could I how been so careless?! You stupid, stupid…_

Mentally reproaching himself for his rash decisions, Alastair soon reached the group's last known location. He saw what he expected to see. _Nothing…Gone without a trace!_ But still, that didn't make things any less painful. He sank to his knees in despair. _Why did everything have to go wrong?! Why?_

Still crouching in the murk, his head buried in his hands, he heard something. It was coming from a little ways over to his left. Inquisitive, he heaved himself up and went to investigate. An Academy issue PDA lay there on the ground, a "Message Waiting!" light blinking. It was emitting a faint beeping, which had attracted his attention in the first place. Without pausing to examine it, he signed on. As he read the single message which it contained, his hands tightened on the frame. Reaching the end, he exhaled sharply, eyes blazing with fury. The casing of the computer cracked.

(The Shadow Realm, Location Unknown)

A portal of Shadow swirled into existence in the throne room. The woman raised her head, a smile of satisfaction dawning across her mouth. She waited as figures materialized. First the outlines, followed quickly by the details. Her two servants had returned successfully. They stood facing each other, their hands extended. From the light which glowed from their hands, she could see six struggling figures, imprisoned within the glowing runes. At a sign from her, the attendants released the spell, allowing the teenagers to get to their feet. They huddled together in their unfamiliar surroundings, trying to figure out where they were.

"Welcome to my domain, students of Duel Academy!"

The kids drew back from the tall dark figure who sat on the throne before them. Her face was invisible owing to the lack of illumination in the room, but they could see that she wore a hood or veil of sorts. She rose and surveyed the new arrivals keenly. Her smile became more malicious as she gazed upon them, going over her plan again to herself. Then one of them stepped forward. It was Syrus.

"Who are you?" he demanded angrily, "And why are we here?"

The woman's smile became wider.

"I should ask you the same question. Why would a band such as yourselves willingly enter the Realm of Shadow? For what purpose would you forsake the comforts of your own world?"

Jaden hesitated. It seemed like he knew this woman. But he couldn't remember where…

"We came searching for someone who is precious to us. We believe that she is here somewhere."

The woman gave a soft chuckle. Her eyes gleamed keenly from under the folds of her mantle.

"I know of no such person here. There is nothing which passes through here which I do not know of. But I will make inquiries…"

Turning to the two servants, she asked:

"Have you seen anything unusual about?"

Two heads shook in denial. The teens were despondent: where was Alexis? Alastair had been so sure that she was here somewhere. Had he been wrong all the time? Maybe he was in league with these Shadow beings. Maybe this was all his fault. Maybe… maybe…

As the doubts gathered in the minds of the children before her, the woman's eyes began to gleam. Faint at first, the light glowing in their depths grew in intensity, a vivid scarlet. Tyranno noticed, unable to account for the sudden ringing in his ears.

"What the…?!"

His head began to ache horribly, and his every instinct told him to run. Something was very wrong here. He made it two steps before he was hit from behind by something. His limbs went numb and his body stiffened. His body lifted into the air and turned. One of the attendants was standing there, one arm raised, hand glowing with unholy light. He found himself being forced to stare into the eyes of the leader, losing himself in those fiery depths which held no pity or kindness.

The others fared little better. Upon seeing Hassleberry subdued like that, the group had tried to scatter. With a quick gesture from the other, they found themselves imprisoned by another spell. They were unable to move, forced to gaze upon the one before them. They were being mesmerized without being able to do the slightest thing about it.

Upon rendering them helpless, the woman advanced. She raised her hand, a pale fire materializing in her hand. She looked gloated over the paralyzed group who floated before her. Her voice rose to a triumphant note.

"Your presence here means that your comrade will be forced to come to me. And I intend to welcome him with fitting honors for one of his status." The women giggled, "I look forward to see how he fares this tournament. It should be a most….entertaining venture."

She lifted her arm further. The flames grew, power surging through them. The Eye glowed brightly on the choker around her neck.

"In this place, the key to thrive is to throw off the shackles of societal inhibitions and let your most primitive drives run free. Allow me to grant you freedom from this mortal coil"

With a final gesture, she flung the energy ball at the captives, who still struggled, although it was futile. The ball split into six parts, each homing in on a different person. They impacted with the chest of each student, striking home to the heart…

The last thing that each remembered was a high pitched shriek of laughter, dripping with malice and cruelty.

**WHOOOOOOO! Spooky! I like to spice things up a little. More tales from the Shadow Realm, with plenty of duels to follow.**

** Please review. I have started working hard already on the next chapter, trying to make it a good one. But I need your feedback. I use it to help me sort and prioritize my ideas. I look forward to hearing from you.**


	12. Allure Queen Lv 7

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX. I only own my own characters.

New chapter is finally finished. Decided to try something new here; I hope you enjoy it. And now, without further ado, allow me to present...

* * *

**Chapter 12: Allure Queen Lv 7**

_Careless! Stupid! Idiot..!_

A string on self reproach mixed with muttered imprecations issued from Alastair's lips as he stormed through the mist, hands clenched in impotent rage. Not that this turn of events was unexpected. He knew exactly who he was up against, and she was not above using living shields to achieve her goals. Given the ransom note which had been left back at the abduction site, a memo which read more like a taunt, he knew that he was now on the right track. His nemesis had extended him a personal invitation, and he'd be blasted if he was going to pass up this meeting.

"OUCH! Mother-"

He gave a little grunt of pain as he tripped over an unseen obstacle. Sprawled on his face, he pondered the uselessness of even continuing. He felt sure that he would be toyed with cruelly before being disposed of. He knew that his former companions were not dead; the message which he had received had been very clear as to that. Whatever that meant, it could not be good. Taken prisoner in the Shadow Realm, what a horrible fate! He shook his head at the thought.

_She's getting to you, Master. Do you truly wish for her to gain the upper hand before you even confront her?_

Muted greens and pink swirled into a concrete outline as **Jinzo** manifested. The cyborb gazed down from its towering height at its owner, who bore the expression of a criminal marked for the scaffold. The blue eyes were dull, subdued, empty as they rose to meet gleaming red orbs.

"You know as well as I do how bad the odds are, **Jinzo**. She holds all the cards, and she knows it. I need to find out what she knows about how to get Sabrina back, and on top of that, now I have to get those people back. There's just no end to this. Everything I touch becomes cursed, contaminated."

The mechanoid folded its arms and pondered these words. Counselling and therapy were not part of its programming. A more accurate description would probably conpare it to an assassin droid. However, this was its Master, and **Jinzo **had not spent the past decade alongside him without an understanding developing between the two. As a Duel Spirit, he was an anomoly. But then again, Alastair was the same after a fashion.

_If you consider the probability that she doesn't know the entire situation, your chances dramatically improve. There is a chance that she only remembers you from your clash five years ago. If that is so, it would behoove you to maintain that illusion until the opportune moment._

While not immediate, the words caused an almost impreceptible straightening of Alatair's shoulders. The faintest ghost of a smile tuggged at his lips as he considered the possibilities. This might work, unless-

"What about the others? If she learns about the duel with Alexis from them, what then? It's not like any average Joe can trigger a Shadow Game."

_A price you may have to pay for your folly, Master. You swore not to enage in a duel with anyone, for any reason. Why did you allow the female to provoke you so? In fact, if I may, it seemed like you were provoking _her _through most of your conversations. Were you hoping to evoke any other reaction?_

The boy brought his hand up to massage away a headache; his brow furrowed in deep concentration. Why had he pushed her so hard? Why did he keep antagonizing her?

"I-I'm not sure myself. I know I promised Truesdale that I would keep an eye on her when I got here. But every time I go near her, I.." he searched his memory for a suitable word. "I feel _compelled_ to keep acting this way. Like all my self control goes out the window." He looked down at his hands, like they were contaminated. "It's like I'm an entirely different person."

The green giant pondered this latest development for a long moment. _That is a bit disturbing, given what I know of your normal behavior patterns. I've seen your aggression during a duel, but normally you display a level of courtesy and even empathy. This is the first time I've observed such unbridled hostility from you towards another human being. Are you feeling alright, Master?_

Alastair shook his head in frustration. "It's not her, I think. I'm sure it has more to do with her brother, Atticus. And that's what puzzles me: I've never even met the guy in my life. Heck, the only reason I even know of him is from what Zane mentioned. But somehow, I feel like I know him better than that. It's not something I can really put into words. I just...know."

_And you feel the need to flaunt this knowledge in her face? She still carries the scars from losing her brother for all those years. For you to rub salt in old wounds..you carry a cruel streak, Master. And you agreed with the Truesdale boy about respect for one's opponent. Seems a bit hypocritical-_

Alastair cut off the droid with a sharp gesture, forcing it to dematerialize. As he did so, he caught a glimpse of a sparkle. _Sabrina's Ring! _It still hung around his neck, a reminder of his painful separation from its owner. He sat up, ignoring a deep cut on his face, fresh from his recent fall. He stared at it, allowing pleasant memories associated with it to wash over him. Then came a touch of reality, the fatal day that she vanished. That was it, gone without a trace! Alastair's right hand closed on the circlet, determined to see this matter through to the bitter end. He had already lost enough for one lifetime. He wasn't going to let anyone take people from him again; not if he had anything to say about it.

_And here is the heart of darkness. I should have known.._

Barely visible in the vague half-light and swirling fog, the massive edifice towered above the otherwise featureless scenery. Obsidian towers and polished metal rails spanning the stone bulwarks rendered this intimidating structure nigh impregnable to a frontal assault. Surrounded on all sides by a wide moat, filled with violet and emerald miasma, approaching the walls was not an option from the ground. Legions of bats and other demonic beasts patrolled the skies and ramparts respectively; an aerial assault was also out of the question. Alastair walked the perimeter, scanning the walls with the care of an enemy commander, seeking a weakness. Windows all appeared to be barred, with openings only wide enough for a bat to get in and out. Walls were impossible to scale, if the alarm was raised he would be overwhelmed in seconds, he couldn't even get over the venomous trench..

"I've not come this far, only to fail now. I refuse to quit here."

The boy looked down at his right hand, still wrapped in bandages. The school nurse had observed these wrappings during his previous visits, but he had passed it off as an injury. No one had seen what lay beneath, what they concealed. Having already willingly discarded the glove, Alastair had weakened his mental defenses. But the power which he obtained in exchange had already gotten him this close to his goal, closer than he had ever come in the two years since he had begun searching. Perhaps a little more..

"No! I won't break down the seal any further unless I have no other choice." His caustic glare was fixed on his treacherous left hand, which had been inching towards the bindings. _Time to focus on something else, before I'm tempted again._

His blue eyes returned to studying the fortifications, looking for a way in. But from what he'd seen, the structure was sheer and unbroken. Nothing even remotely resembling a gate, drawbridge or any other means of admittance. This was going nowhere. Frustrated, he pulled out his cards, shuffled through them and extracted one. Holding it aloft, he focused his attention on **Spirit Reaper**, which promptly appeared. The mini-Death required no instructions, silently becoming incorporeal and transparent, and glided off on reconnaissance duty. Alastair knelt down in a meditative posture.

_And now, we wait..._

The Mistress of the Keep laced her fingers together while she enjoyed a moment of pure satisfaction, uninterrupted by schemes and intrigue. After all these years, the little prodigal child was coming home, was he?

(A moment before)

_The girl glided into the room, soundless as a shadow. _

_"Mistress, we have intelligence that the boy who hunts you is lurking just outside the walls. One of his guardians was detected scouting the defenses. Shall we send out a search for him?"_

_The woman's smile etched wider as she pondered this new development._

_"No. We've harried him enough for the time being. The time has come to meet with him. Hear what he has to say.."_

_She broke off as another servant brought her a crystaline chalice containing a dark red fluid._

(End flashback)

A prodigy in his own right, though he failed to grasp his true potential. She'd tried to teach him a lesson, albeit a harsh one, almost five years ago. But rather than taking it to heart, he'd acted like she was wrong in that.

_A pity, _she reflected. _I suppose even the most promising young people are capable of ingratitude at times. But perhaps the years have tought him that which I could not._

She took a delicate sip, savoring the life-giving elixir. _Mmmmm._ It had been far too long since she had been able to sate her appetite on fare of this quality. The flavor was...exquisite.

_And if he cannot be made to serve me, I'll make use of him yet. _ Camula's fangs gleamed beneath a sadistic smile as she viewed the half-filled glass under the candlelight. _He'll come to beg for a death that will never come, as I feed on his life's blood, nurse him back to health, and repeat until he's old and decrepit. Eternal life will be so much fun._

Alastair sighed in annoyance while returning the card to his deck. **Spirit Reaper **had been unsuccessful in locating a vulnerable point. While not entirely unexpected, it was still small comfort to be proven right about something like this. To be so close and yet so far...

His attention was caught by a distinct speck moving towards his position at great speed. Alastair took a good look, trying to make it out. Airborne unit...moving somewhat erratically..searching for something? He took a few steps back as the thought crossed his mind that he had been discovered and this was an attack. If so, it paid to pick the battlefield, not that the terrain gave him many options. And given how fast his pursuer was closing in, he had to chose fast.

_Master, look.._

His attention was drawn by **Jinzo**'s psychic warning. Returning his gaze to the target, which he could now make out as a solitary bat, he decided to make a stand right there and await developments. As the rodent drew closer, he perceived a rolled up piece of paper between its claws. It gave a high pitched shriek as it closed in, ensuring that it was noticed.

_That's either the worst ambush I've ever seen, unless there's more of them out of sight. But I get the feeling that we're expected, which doesn't make me feel better._

Sure enough, **Vampire Bat** lowered itself slowly, presenting the scroll without any form of aggression. Alastair cautiously unrolled it and read:

_Master Cunningham,_

_If you are reading this, then this means that you have accepted my invvitation. That is so very kind of you, as I do not often have the opportunity to entertain guests. Thank you ever so much for the opportunity to play the gratious host._

_When you are ready, follow this messenger. It will escort you safely inside the estate, and bring you to me. I look forward to seeing you again after so long. Please don't be long._

_The Lady of Shadows,_

_~Camula~_

Alastair crushed the angry vitriol which threatened to blaze forth. Getting angry now wasn't going to help, and he'd only be used by his rage. Better to force it down to a cold simmer, he would be able to use it to gain the edge he needed. She held the cards, all of them, and she knew it. From the tone of her letter, she was obviously confident in her superiority. Until he knew more about the entire situation, that fact was not going to change. And he wasn't accomplishing anything by staying out here. He met the beady eyes of the demonic flier with his icy blue ones.

"Lead the way, messenger. Take me to your Lady."

Despite the note stowed safely, Alastair remained on high alert as he followed the aerial envoy. His past experience with the sender left him with no reason to trust her; and hearing the word "entertain" from the likes of her made him uneasy. Since she already held his allies captive, or worse, it wouldn't do to take chances. Despite his trepidation, the trip passed without incident. Alastair made out the shades of the monstrous hordes half hidden in the gloom, sentries of the demonic keep, but they gave him little more than a glance and a sniff before returning to their posts. Alastair was impressed despite himself, _Something to be said for loyalty._

Stowing his cards carefully, he approached the massive portals. They stood open; obviously he was expected. They were courteous enough to allow him to enter without having to force his way in. "_How conscientious"_, he thought to himself. He set foot on the stone bridge which materialized before him, spanning the toxic void below. The pillars of the bridge were topped by savage gargoyles, posed in painful and savage likenesses. They were fashioned in such a way that their eyes seemed to follow anyone who ventured past them. With a characteristic shrug, Alastair continued past them. _ If anyone was watching, let them come out. _It wasn't as if he had anything to hide.

Proceeding into the courtyard was interesting to say the least. The whole area was dotted with demonic stone carvings. Some of them carried weapons: swords, axes, lances; all were painfully sharp. Alastair was standing and admiring one, which bore a long, curiously carved blade. It was designed to be slow and heavy, but capable of pulling itself through almost any target through sheer force. An eyebrow went up as he studied the macabre taste of the owner of said establishment. He didn't have time to ponder long…

_**CLANG!**_

Alastair whipped around to face the sound. It did not take him long to discover its source. The massive gates had closed, trapping him inside. _So she plans to keep me here for a while, _he thought with a chuckle. If they hoped to scare him that way, they had another thing coming. After wandering alone in the Shadow Realm for so long, it took more than that to get to him. For example…

"Welcome, little boy! I have been expecting you."

Alastair gave a little start. He turned in the direction of the voice, which he knew all too well. Into his field of vision came a balcony, overlooking the courtyard in which he stood. He was able to make out a female figure standing back in the shadows, looking down at him. Just the sight of her set his teeth on edge.

"You..._**"**_

It took all of his self control to maintain a calm front from this distance. She was right there, but even so, she still was at an advantage. He still had to play along, until he got what he needed. Nonetheless, his fists clenched, tight enough to leave muscles shaking and blood stained nails.

"Oh my! Your little fits of temper are going to get you into trouble one of these days."

He decided to ignore the barb. At least until he could restrain his furious tongue. His vision was beginning to distort, and he was filled with a sudden urge to light this woman on fire.

"...one can only hope. But never mind that; I've responded to your invitation. What's this all about?"

"Your manners have certainly not improved since our last meeting. I thought that three years would be enough to teach you some courtesy."

Alastair glowered. _Will..not..incinerate..._

"I have plenty of courtesy, when I choose to show it. You, however, get no consideration from me whatsoever. Not after our history together."

The woman raised her hands in mock astonishment.

"And here I thought that we had such a healthy relationship in the past."

Alastair's eyes flared with a baleful glow.

"Don't play innocent with me… **Camula**!"

That last word rang clearly throughout the whole enclosure. The woman lips widened in a sly smile and stepped forward to get a better look at her prey. Dark green hair flowed thickly down her back, one of the bangs hanging low on the forehead. Her dress was a deep crimson, low cut at the top, with high slits on both sides, the better to accentuate her assets. The vampiress' eyes gleamed with malice, while her mouth parted in a disdainful look, revealing the two overly long canines. She nodded in acknowledgement of the name, disregarding the hateful tone in which it was uttered. Alastair continued:

"You remember it all, don't you?"

Camula calmly folded her arm together, looking bored

"Refresh my memory, again. It's been such a long time, and so much has happened in the meantime."

Alastair's voice sunk to a whisper. His eyes shadowed beneath his hair..

"Five years ago. You're right, it has been a long time, since every day has been a living nightmare. You probably thought it funny to introduce a young, ambitious boy to the horrors of the Shadow Games. But that wasn't enough, was it? You just _had _ to play your infamous **Illusion Gate **spell card. You didn't even give me the courtesy of informing me about the side consequences of using that card. Conveniently forgot that part, huh?" He swiped a hand across his cheeks, which were suddenly wet. "I got home from beating you, only to find my parents dead! You used their souls as the necessary sacrifice penalty, didn't you?!"

Camula yawned.

"The rules of the card state that souls must be sacrificed for it's activation, but it doesn't specify that it must be the owner's soul."

Alastair's shoulders shook with rage.

"You monster! How many have lost those they love while you callously use that Shadow Charm to bend the rules in your favor? How many have been forced to choose between victory against you versus losing those precious to them forever."

"The lives of mere mortals mean nothing to me, little one!"

Alastair swore. He had bottled up these feeling for years, and now he was being mocked for it.

"But that wasn't enough! You even infected my very deck with your dark corruption. I dueled with Sabrina, only to find a friendly duel transform into a deadly Shadow game. She tried to forfeit in order to end it, but ended up losing her soul all the same, having lost the game by default. I dare you to tell me that wasn't your doing!"

Camula's face assumed a look of sadistic pleasure.

"Ah, yes. If I remember correctly, you were quite attached to that girl."

The tears flowed shamelessly from Alastair's eyes. He could not deny it. Camula saw his hesitation and used it. Addressing the despondent figure standing below her, she began:

"Since I'm playing the role of gracious host, and you so kindly accepted my hospitality, I'm feeling merciful this night. As such, assuming I am 'responsible' for the loss of that girl, perhaps I can get her back."

Alastair's head snapped up. She had his full and undivided attention.

"What do you mean?"

"Supposing that it were possible to get her back, how far would you go?"

_Here comes a deal with the devil herself.._

"…Name your terms, Camula."

"A few duels, nothing more. I've not had the pleasure of watching you perform in years, and eternal life gets so very boring. Duel your way to me, and I'll get her back.

Alastair hesitated. He knew that this vampire was full of tricks, but, on the other hand, she might not be lying. He decided to stall, to give himself time to think.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that if you participate in my dueling tournament, and win, I'll restore her to you."

Alastair's head swam. He put him hand up to his head to try and steady himself. This was a possible once in a lifetime opportunity to get back something that he had thought was lost forever. He had to take it. On the other hand, suppose it was all just a trick. He glared at the other.

"How do I know that I can trust you?"

Camula smiled. The situation was going just as planned. She reached raised a finger to her lips and bit down. She allowed a few drops of blood to fall to the ground while the air around her hissed and sang with power.

"**_I swear this blood oath to you, Alastair Cunningham. I, Carmilla, Lady of the Night, will fulfill the terms of our agreement to the very end. And may my soul be forfeit should I renege on this vow._**"

Having finished, she turned her attention to the young man down below.

"There, I've sealed it in blood. Are you satisfied, young man?"

Alastair grudgingly nodded. The woman's leer intensified.

"Oh yes, there is one more thing. The portals to each duel are sealed from the inside and only I can break those. Without my presence and power, you will soon reach an impasse."

"I'm guessing it would be unreasonable to expect you to give _me_ your power. So I just need something of yours to proceed." He looked the woman up and down, appraising. "How about your right hand?"

Camula quirked an eyebrow, and chuckled in amusement.

"And here you are acting like we have nothing in common. You never mentioned that you have such a lovely sense of humor."

She reached down to her deck case, strapped to her thigh. Reaching in, she pulled out a card.

"I'll entrust you with this instead."

Alastair snatched it out of the air. He looked at it and froze.

"What?! You're giving me your **Vampire Genesis**? Your strongest monster! What's the catch?"

"No catch at all. That's your 'admission pass' if you will. I have every confidence that you'll make it to the end, if you have even a fraction of the skill you displayed the last time we clashed. If we see each other again, return that card, and I, in exchange, will give her back."

"A card for a soul?"

"Precisely."

Alastair looked at the Zombie portrayed on the cards which he still grasped. One look at its face reminded him of who he was dealing with, a monster. Every sense told him that this was not going to end well.

_What do I have left to lose?_

Against his better judgment, he decided to play her game and see what happened. He had no other leads. And she'd sworn that it was merely a few duels. Once he cleared that hurdle, if she broke her word, the binding oath would do his job for him. He locked eyes with the other, glaring daggers.

"Alright, I'll do it."

Camula clapped enthusiastically.

"Marvelous! When you are ready, proceed through the main doors to meet your first challenger. I will be waiting for you at the top."

Alastair nodded curtly, but pointed at the figure who began to dissolve into shadow.

"If you try any tricks…"

Camula laughed coldly.

"I wouldn't dream of it!"

And with those words, she vanished.

* * *

**Shadow duelist versus former Shadow Rider. Whew, feel the sparks fly!**

**It took much longer than I planned to get this chapter finished. After the last two installments, I wanted something to really bring things together before we get into the heart of the story. And I realized that I mislabeled a few chapters, so now I feel stupid. The schedule's been a bit hectic with my impending move back to the States after a 2 year tour abroad. The paperwork and red tape needed for this is a nightmare.**

**Anyway, please review. I decided to tweak the style of my writing a little bit after reading some works which inspired me. Let me know what you think.**


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